Pinas, nakatanggap ng mahigit na 9K inbound tourists simula ng muling magbukas ang borders ng bansa- DOT

NANANATILING kumpiyansa ang Department of Tourism (DOT) na mas tataas pa ang tourist arrivals kasunod ng muling pagbubukas ng borders ng bansa noong nakaraang linggo.

“As of February 14,” ang actual inbound tourist arrivals mula sa visa-free countries ay umabot sa 9,283.

Ipinakita rin sa data ng DOT na sa nasabing bilang na ito, 4,209 ang mga balikbayan habang ang 5,074 ay foreign tourists.

Sinabi ni Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat na tinitingnan nila ang gradual pace sa pagdagsa ng mga turista sa bansa na makatutulong aniya sa pagbangon ng local tourism scene.

“International travel and tourism saw an unprecedented decline in visitor arrivals amid the pandemic; the reopening of Philippines’ borders to visitors from visa-free countries will surely help in improving our numbers,” ayon kay Puyat.

“We at the DOT are excited to see a revival in our local tourism and will continue to support our partners in achieving this goal,” dagdag na pahayag nito.

“Tourists from the US make up the largest chunk of foreign tourists from February 10 to 14 with 2,227 arrivals; followed by 661 from Canada; 404 from Australia; 344 from the United Kingdom; 189 from South Korea, 169 from Japan; and 168 from Germany.” aniya pa rin.

Binigyang diin pa ng Kalihim na ang kahandaan ng bansa sa pagdagsa ng foreign travelers ay masasabing mahigit sa 90% ng kanilang target na tourism workers sa buong bansa ay fully-vaccinated.

“The DOT’s goal has since shifted to providing fully vaccinated workers with booster shots, which will not only give them extra protection against the virus but will also add to the confidence of local and foreign tourists as they make their way to the country’s many breathtaking destinations,”ang pahayag ni Puyat.

“As of February 11,” may kabuuang 323,206 indibiduwal o 93.09% ng s nationwide target ng DOT na 353,075 tourism workers sa iba’t ibang tourism-related industries ay fully vaccinated laban sa Covid-19.

Sa naturang bilang, 57,347 o 17.74% ang nakatanggap ng kanilang booster shots.

Samantala, pinaalala naman ng DOT na ang fully vaccinated tourists ay required na mag-presenta ng proof of vaccination na inaprubahan ng Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases o World Health Organization, at maging ng negatibong RT-PCR test result na ginawa 48 na oras bago pa ang departure mula sa bansang kanilang pinagmulan. (Bishop Jesus “Jemba” M. Basco)