Tourist arrivals via Clark airport totalled 51,584 in the first half of 2021 with receipts estimated at P2.32 billion for the period.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) in a statement reported tourist arrivals in Clark Airport plunged to 494,387 in 2020 from 1.98 million in 2019 due to travel restrictions caused by the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Estimated tourist receipts stood at just P6.23 billion in 2020 just a third from P19.66 billion in 2019.
Ath\ the inspection of the new terminal building of the Clark International Airport on Saturday, DOT Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat pledged support to the continuity of the infrastructure program of the government, seeing this as a big boost to tourism “Having world-class air, land and sea infrastructure such as the Clark Airport will help Philippine tourism bounce back sooner,” Puyat said.
The operations and management of the Clark Airport will be overseen by the Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp. , a consortium between Changi Airports Philippines Pte.
Ltd., Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings, Inc., and Philippine Airport Ground Solutions Inc.
Boosting air connectivity is classified as one of the priorities of the DOT under the National Tourism Development Plan for 2016 to 2022, hence the significance of Clark Airport’s new terminal building completion, Puyat added.
The DOT had spearheaded convergence initiatives such as the Transforming Communities towards Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Tourism Program, the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program and the Leveraging Infrastructure Program for Airport Development in the effort to promote accessibility of more tourism destinations and increased mobility in the country. – Irma Isip
