Tourist arrivals, revenue plunge more than half

MANILA, Philippines — Revenues from tourist arrivals from January to April are estimated to have plunged 55 percent to P79.8 billion as the country recorded zero arrivals in April due to travel restrictions amid the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic, the chief of the Department of Tourism (DOT) said.

In a Senate hearing, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said foreign arrivals in January to April are estimated to have dropped 54 percent to 1.3 million foreign arrivals from 2.8 million arrivals in the same period last year.

“We also estimate revenues from foreign tourist arrivals for the period January to April to have reached P79.8 billion or a decrease of 55 percent compared to P180.52 billion in January to April 2019,” Puyat said.

“With both international and domestic travel restrictions in effect for the entirety of April there have been no visiting tourists and, therefore, zero revenue for the industry for this month,” she said.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) earlier said that the number of international visitor arrivals worldwide is projected to further decline by up to 78 percent this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It added that international arrivals have already declined by 22 percent in the first three months of the year, with arrivals in March dropping sharply by 57 percent as many countries began lockdown measures, as well as the widespread introduction of travel restrictions and the closure of airports and national borders.

This translated into a loss of 67 million international arrivals and about $80 billion in receipts.

“With the tourism industry being hit the hardest by the crisis, the DOT crafted the tourism response and recovery program (TRRP) with the stakeholders first in mind.”

The TRPP was made in cooperation with national government agencies and stakeholders through the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP).

TRRP is designed to revitalize the country’s tourism industry, including programs, projects, and activities under six thematic outcomes with emphasis on sustaining businesses, training or capacitating the workforce, and protecting vulnerable groups.

Puyat earlier said that the DOT is crafting new standards and protocols for safe and responsible tourism to direct the industry’s path to recovery under the new normal.

Among the measures to be implemented as part of adapting to the new normal include the re-training of tourism practitioners, reducing the capacity of air and land transport units, the distribution of hygiene kits to tour participants, mandatory temperature checks at airports, hotels, and other attractions, and ensuring food safety.

Puyat said the DOT is also proposing other measures in line with safety such as regular sanitation/ disinfection of tourism accommodation and transport services; provision of sanitation/ disinfecting devices, including PPEs for tourism workers; regular inspection of tourism establishments by agencies in relation to health and safety standards; development of online systems that can facilitate tourism-related transactions such as applications for accreditation, training modules, and even retail.

“Yes, travel as we know it will change forever, that is why it is important that we embrace the new normal and equip our industry stakeholders with the appropriate tools and knowledge to recover and succeed in the post lockdown era, so when the time comes that we open our doors to travel once again we will be ready,” Puyat said.