Officials of the Department of Tourism (DOT) met with its Japanese counterparts to discuss ways in improving and promoting the Philippines as a safe travel destination under the new normal set up amid the continuous threat of the Covid-19.
Part of the meeting was a discussion with Japanese travel agents, tour operators, tourism organizations, English studies operators, economic federations, and Japanese media from Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.
"Like other tourism ministries, the Philippines Department of Tourism exhausted all possible efforts to revive the industry, primarily to restore jobs and rebuild revenue streams. Now, we are glad to see the fruits of our labor after nearly two years of preparations to push for the recovery of the sector," DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said in a statement.
Japan has been the Philippines' fourth-biggest tourism source market before the pandemic, with 682,788 tourists arrivals. Currently, the country has so far received 2,125 leisure travelers since it reopened its borders for visa-free countries.
Puyta said the Philippines is the first country in Southeast Asia to have the most straightforward travel process with no quarantine or testing requirements upon arrival.
She also highlighted the country's decreasing Covid-19 cases, high vaccination rate and compliance to safety protocols of tourism workers, and few entry requirements and processes.
Aside from these, Puyat said that the agency also offers Covid-19 booster jabs for fully-vaccinated Japanese tourists.
"We are aware that the pandemic is still here, and health should always be the priority. We strive to balance public safety and economic recovery by crafting policies that safeguard our citizen's well-being as well as revive the tourism sector," Puyat said.
"The Philippines and Japan share a common goal for the tourism sector, that of promoting our respective destinations and thereby contributing meaningfully to the growth of our nations' economies," she added.