This year, Manila’s Department of Tourism (DoT) is embarking on a platform of strategies and activities in the Middle East for perking up regional tourism arrivals across the Philippine archipelago at 100,000 by this year end.Published on : Saturday, February 10, 2018
This year, Manila’s Department of Tourism (DoT) is embarking on a platform of strategies and activities in the Middle East for perking up regional tourism arrivals across the Philippine archipelago at 100,000 by this year end.
Philippine Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said that as Middle Easterners visit the Philippines for leisure or holiday, business and medical tourism, the most number of visitors in 2017 were from Saudi Arabia at 54,716 and the UAE at 16,399.
Last year, a total of 89,932 locals from the region visited the Philippines and there were visitors also from other countries namely Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait.
Their favourite destinations outside of the capital city of Manila in Luzon Island are the island town of Boracay in Aklan, Western Visayas, and the island province of Cebu in Central Visayas.
Teo said DoT is “pushing for new and underrated destinations with the help of an expanded marketing plan, improved human resources and service standards.”
These include more halal and green tourism facilities as well as thematic products like farm-faith-sports-adventure tourism approaches.
For this, awareness campaigns on halal tourism, luxury/women market, more family packages, health and wellness, and the Philippines for the young travelers are in the pipeline. There will also be strategic meetings to discuss partnerships and collaborations with key Middle Eastern carriers.
Tags: Manila’s Department of Tourism