PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan- The local government of Puerto Princesa City has allocated P205 million for tourism recovery plan in line with the gradual reopening of its economy amid pandemic.
City Tourism Officer Aileen Cynthia Amurao said that, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the initial fund will be used to implement safety measures, such as health screening of the incoming travelers to prevent community transmission.
The move was created through the USAID Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth and Equity (SURGE) project, which aims to help those most affected during the pandemic through tourism reopening and recovery plan (TRRP).
The city is set to implement three phases of its tourism recovery, namely, allowing tourism establishments to cater to locals, allowing entry of travelers from low-risk regions, and the final phase which is to allow the entry of all tourists, including foreigners.
City government also eyes to enhance the community-based sustainable tourism sites through their gradual opening.
According to the City Tourism Office, Puerto Princesa has a total of P5.45-billion worth of tourism-related revenues with its around 1.2 million tourist arrivals. However, these dropped by 80 percent during the surge of COVID-19.