THE Department of Tourism (DOT) and Emirates Airlines have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to promote the Philippines as a premier destination.
They said the MOU carries a provision for them to work on expanding flight routes and frequencies to key destinations on both sides, the DOT said on Tuesday.
The department said in a statement the MOU signed on April 28 on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) provides that both parties will come up with plans to “promote the Philippines in Middle East, Mediterranean, and European markets” covered by Emirates’ global network.
It did not indicate the additional number of flights and frequencies being planned but said Emirates serves the Philippines with 28 weekly flights to Manila, Cebu and Clark, equivalent to 22,700 weekly seats to and from Dubai.
The two parties will also “co-promote each other’s projects and programs through media platforms to ensure wide reach and engagement,” with Emirates “promoting the Philippines throughout Emirates’ network,” the DOT added.
The DOT said the MOU also provides that both parties will “jointly explore and implement activities to develop and promote tourism in the Philippines, using Emirates’ services for mutual benefit.”
“The collaboration of the Department of Tourism with Emirates is a vital step in establishing the Philippines as a premier leisure gateway for travelers from the Middle East and Europe, not to mention provide additional air seats and options for the Filipino diaspora in this part of the world who wish to go back and visit our country,” DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said.
Frasco — who witnessed the signing of the MOU by DOT Undersecretary Verna Buensuceso and Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ senior vice president for commercial operations in the Far East — said the joint marketing and advertising initiatives will significantly boost visitor traffic from the airline’s global network.
The DOT quoted Abbas as saying the Philippines is one of the longest served destinations across the Emirates’ entire global network as the airline began operations in the country 35 years ago.
The DOT said Dubai-based Emirates is the world’s largest international airline. Its global network spans 140 destinations across six continents.
As of April 28, 2025, the Philippines received a total of 21,576 travelers from the UAE, according to data from the DOT’s Statistics, Economic Analysis, and Information Management Division.
The DOT said there were 2,084 visitors from the UAE from February to December 2022; 43,962 in 2023 and 69,995 in 2024.
The DOT data showed the Philippines earned an estimated $11.81 million from travelers from the UAE in 2022, increasing to $45.77 million in 2023 and $69.59 million in 2024.
Tourism revenues from UAE tourists recovered by as much as 536.6 percent in 2024, the DOT said.
