The long wait is over, as the Philippine government officially reopened to international tourists this February 2022. It is only the beginning of the government’s efforts to encourage tourists to visit the country again. Fully-vaccinated travellers from 157 countries with visa-free agreements can now enter the Philippine archipelago.
The Philippine government has been allowing all fully-vaccinated travellers to enter the Philippines without having to quarantine for a week as the country begins to “slowly transition” to the new normal and the number of COVID-19 cases continues to decline, provided that the incoming travellers possess complete travel documents such as proof of vaccination status, a negative PCR test result taken no earlier than 48 hours before departure to the Philippines, and some other entry documents including:
- a valid visa
- One Health Pass
- COVID vaccination certificate
- hotel reservation
- outbound flight
- RT-PCR test 48 hours prior
Almost 25,000 tourists arrivals were recorded early this month since the country opened its borders to international leisure travellers, and even more are expected to arrive in the coming months. Most of the tourist arrivals came from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and South Korea. There were also travellers from Australia, Vietnam, and Japan.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat expressed confidence that this year, the tourism sector will recover from the impact of the covid-19 pandemic. It will provide the chance to restore the battered economy and the revenues from tourism and other allied industries.
If you plan to visit the country, it is important to regularly check the rules and regulations and the requirements as it continuously changes.
Reference:
(Scott, N.) (2022, February 20th) (Covid-19: Philippines Travel Updates) Retrieved 28th February 2022 from https://southeastasiabackpacker.com/covid19-philippines-travel-restrictions/#:~:text=The%20Philippines%20officially%20reopened%20to%20international%20tourists%20on,vaccinated%20travellers%20are%20allowed%20to%20enter%20the%20Philippines.
(Flores, H) (2022, February 24th) (Philippine tourist arrivals hit 25,000 since reopening) Retrieved 28th February 2022 from https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/philippine-tourist-arrivals-hit-25-000-since-reopening/ar-AAUdkW3?ocid
