The islands are calling: Is the Philippines now open to tourists?

THE ISLANDS ARE CALLING: The natural harmony of the thousands of islands is calling, and could be the perfect antidote for domestic and international visitors. But the tourists are nowhere to be seen these days. Omicron’s emergence has scuttled hopes of a recovery for the country’s tourism sector long suffering from the pandemic’s knock-on effects. There are hopes that Omicron's setback will be short-lived.

FRESH TRAVEL CURBS: The Philippines' tourism industry accounts for a significant chunk of the country's GDP, up to 12.8% in 2019. COVID changed all that. On November 28, 2021, the Manila government has announced fresh travel curbs for in-bound travellers from seven more countries amid the threat of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron. Photo shows empty check-in counter at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.

IS THE PHILIPPINES OPEN FOR TOURISM?: The answer is “no” — for international travellers. At the moment, only "Balikbayans” [https://gulfnews.com/1.1619708243537], overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), and those with long-term visas from green and yellow list countries — may be allowed entry to the Philippines.

OPENING TO FOREIGN TOURISTS SCRAPPED: The Philippines originally planned to allow the entry of fully-vaccinated international travellers and tourists from "green" countries, territories or jurisdictions tagged as "low risk” for COVID-19 from December 1 to 15. A scene in Coron, Palawan, in western Philippines.

TOP TRAVEL DESTINATIONS: If you plan to travel to the re-opened destinations and top tourist spots in the Philippines, you need to plan well ahead of time. Also, it is best to keep tabs of fresh restrictions. The planned December 1 opening to fully-vaccinated international tourists was delayed amid the growing threat of the heavily-mutated Omicron coronavirus variant.

SUSPENSION OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL: On November 30, 2021 Manila’s inter-agency task force dealing with the pandemic suspended the entry of foreign tourists to the Philippines, following the emergence of of the highly-transmissible Omicron variant and the warning from WHO, citing evidence that Omicron is more infectious than Delta. Though initial data show it is less severe than Delta, experts warn against premature optimism.

TRAVELLERS FROM “GREEN” LIST COUNTRIES HALTED: Besides suspending inbound leisure travel, the government also temporarily suspended the testing and quarantine protocols for “green” list countries. Boracay, the world-famous tourist destination, has allowed entry of fully-vaccinated domestic travellers from November 16, 2021 — but not international leisure travellers, according to local government officials.

TESTING AND QUARANTINE PROTOCOLS: The state news agency PNA said entry protocols for all qualified in-bound foreign travellers would be based on the testing and quarantine protocols for yellow-list countries or territories. This means a 3-day quarantine for the fully-vaccinated travellers even with a negative COVID test result. A 5-day quarantine is also mandated for unvaccinated and those with incomplete doses and/or without a negative COVID test result.

CANNOT TOTALLY CLOSE BORDERS: On Tuesday (December 7, 2021), a senior health official stated that the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases has agreed not to  add more countries to the Philippines’ “red list”. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire stressed that that the Asian country cannot totally close its borders from the rest of the world. Passengers form a queue at the Manila international airport (NAIA).

WHAT ARE THE OPEN DESTINATIONS? More than 30 destinations in the Philippines [gulfnews.com/1.1637076812423], including the world-famous Boracay, are open — but only for fully-vaccinated domestic travellers. Local governments in these destinations have lifted quarantine and PCR-test rules.

TOURISM OFFICIAL’S STATEMENT: The Philippines’ Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat told the state news agency PNA that the recent measures are “necessary and prudent as there are still a lot of unknown about the new Omicron variant with regards to its transmissibility, its severity, and its global spread.” She aded that public health and safety are their top priority.

TOP HOLIDAY DESTINATION: The Philippines welcomed more than 8.2 million tourists in 2019, but arrivals saw an 82% drop in 2020 as the pandemic hit. Boracay, in Aklan, central Philippines, was a major draw for tourists, but the holiday destination has been off the international tourism map for months due to travel curbs. There are at least 12 swab samples undergoing review for Omicron in the Philippines, local media reported on Tuesday. There are no confirmed cases of the highly infectious variant in the county so far. Health authorities have ramped up genome sequencing of swab samples from in-bound travellers.

UNSPOILT: The Philippines posted $11.48 billion in tourism receipts in 2019, but the last two years has hammered the industry, once a major employer. A drone view of a tourist spot in Camiguin, an island in central Philippines, which has allowed the entry of fully-vaccinated domestic tourists from November 15. The archipelagic Asian country has 7,640 islands — about 2,000 of which are inhabited.