Comeback of tourism industry

Following the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF-EID) decision to reduce the quarantine period for travellers from both green and yellow list countries, or those with low and medium infections, the tourism chief made the announcement. The Department of Tourism (DOT) has been working to shorten the quarantine period for inbound tourists, particularly those who are fully vaccinated, since May 2021.

Vaccinated travellers can leave quarantine facilities as early as five days after their arrival, while unvaccinated tourists can depart seven days after their arrival, according to the IATF resolution. Both vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers must have negative RT-PCR Covid-19 test results taken on the fifth and seventh days following arrival, respectively. Travellers can then finish the rest of their quarantine at home.

However, the DOT underlined that general inbound tourism remains prohibited. Returning Filipinos and balikbayans, their families, and foreigners with valid visas are the only inbound passengers who are eligible. Arrivals from all countries and territories on the government’s green and yellow lists, as well as locations with low or medium infection levels, are exempt from the new limitations. Bermuda is the sole country on the government’s red list of high-risk countries, which prohibits inbound travel.

“The reduction of the mandatory quarantine period for inbound travellers is an encouraging development for the country’s tourism industry. The easing of travel restrictions, particularly quarantine protocols, is a promising development as we inch closer to our goal of making the prospect of travel more appealing to our potential visitors. The faster we are able to adjust to this situation, the faster we can bounce back better and regain our position in the global tourism market. This move of shortening the period in quarantine facilities will be a relief to our kababayans this coming holiday season. This means less expenses for them and more time spent with their loved ones,” says Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Tourism Secretary, the Philippine Department of Tourism.

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