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Philippines eager to tap into Taiwan’s post-COVID tourism market

Philippine travel agencies urge Taiwan to remove border restrictions soon

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Boracay. (Unsplash, C Rayban photo)

Boracay. (Unsplash, C Rayban photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Over 150 Philippine travel agencies were seen queuing up at the Taiwan booth at the Travel Tour Expo, the largest travel expo in the Southeast Asian country, taking place between June 24-26.

The Philippines is embracing international visitors after opening up its borders on April 1. As of late May, the country had seen over 500,000 tourist arrivals, according to Taiwanese Representative to the Philippines Michael Hsu (徐佩勇).

The travel industry in the country urged Taiwan to relax its borders for bilateral tourism to resume. Frolibar S. Bautista, an official from Aklan’s Malay, which has jurisdiction over Boracay, also expressed hopes of the resumption of charter flights between the resort island and Taiwan, per CNA.

While anticipating the revival of inbound travel from Taiwan, the Philippines is also upbeat about the outlook for outbound travel to the country. Many large companies are planning incentive overseas trips with Taiwan on the list of ideal destinations, said local agencies.

According to the Tourism Bureau, Taiwan has been a tourist magnet for the Southeast Asian country for many reasons, counting the vibrant culinary scene, the diversity of attractions, the short flight time of just 1.5 hours, and the visa waiver policy. In 2019, Taiwan saw 510,000 arrivals from the Philippines.

Philippines eager to tap into Taiwan’s post-COVID tourism market
Philippine travel agencies express interest in promoting bilateral tourism with Taiwan. (CNA photo)