Over 200,000 foreign tourists have arrived in the Philippines since it reopened its borders for travelers from all countries last April 1, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Friday, April 8.
Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said that about 202,700 tourists have visited the country as of April 7.
"The sustained influx of tourists in the Philippines is a good measure of the industry's success in its preparations to welcome foreign tourists into the new normal. Our high vaccination rate among tourism workers and reportedly low cases around the country have helped restore the confidence of travelers to visit the Philippines during the summer season," Puyat said.
Based on the data from the One Health Pass (OHP), foreign arrivals from the USA topped the list with 43,744 visitors; followed by Canada with 9,618; the United Kingdom with 9,315; South Korea with 8,440; and Australia with 8,212 tourists.
Puyat also said that the country has implemented "one of the simplest and most relaxed travel restrictions" following the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases' (IATF-EID) move to ease the guidelines.
Tourists are required to use a rapid antigen test as entry requirement on the condition that it should be administered and certified by a professional in a healthcare facility, laboratory, clinic, pharmacy, or other similar establishments for entry purposes, testing, and quarantine protocols.
The IATF-EID also expanded the list of accepted and recognized national Covid-19 vaccination certificates to countries such as Bangladesh, Mexico, Pakistan, and the Slovak Republic.
"This continued growth shall aid our stakeholders, as well as the economy, in recovering from the effects caused by the pandemic," Puyat stated.