The Department of Tourism (DOT) is pushing for expanded international air capacity including additional seats from India into Manila and Cebu, more flights from the US and increased access from the UAE and Europe to sustain growth.
DOT Secretary Christina Frasco said the agency is coordinating with the Civil Aeronautics Board, aviation partners from India and the Department of Transportation to secure multi-city entry into the Philippines for both Manila and Cebu.
“We are increasing seats to India not just in Metro Manila but in Cebu. We’re actively working with CAB, our aviation partners from India, as well as the DOTr, to be able to secure multi-city entry into the Philippines for both Manila and Cebu,” Frasco said.
The US market continues to perform strongly and the department is seeking more consistent flights and additional seats from the US into Manila. Frasco also noted the growth in Spain, Italy and the UK, adding that these markets continue to enjoy single-digit to double-digit growth rates.
The department reiterated its call for Philippine Airlines to resume flights to the United Kingdom and to secure entry into Spain or Italy, a request it has been making for thre years.
Tourism officials are also pushing for additional capacity from the UAE where inbound leisure travel has been growing. Frasco said the department is working closely with Emirates, which has requested additional flight slots to the Philippines.
The agency is hoping for increased slots from the UAE to Manila as well as the retention or expansion of flights to Cebu and Clark.
To diversify tourism arrivals and reduce reliance on traditional markets, the department is conducting targeted marketing campaigns in China, particularly in Beijing and Shanghai, to recover pre-pandemic flight capacity and arrivals.
Frasco said less than 50 percent of pre-pandemic flights from China have been restored and noted that the lifting of the visa requirement for Chinese tourists should help boost arrivals.
Frasco said that while infrastructure improvements are important, the immediate bottleneck remains airline capacity.
“The longer we take to increase our air seats, the more difficult it will be to access the country and to have more competitive rates,” she said.
