Reviving tourism from the clutches of the COVID-19 pandemic

Aggressive testing and a sophisticated data analysis system to track and isolate carriers of the coronavirus were priorities for the city of Baguio even before Luzon was blockaded in March.

In September, the local government was confident enough to begin the gradual opening of the city’s borders to tourists from the Ilocos region who passed health examinations for the “Ridge and Reef” travel corridor that connects Baguio with the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan. and La Union.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the city suspended or eliminated high-impact tourism programs such as the annual Panagbenga (Baguio Flower Festival) in February and summer activities in March and April, forcing the industry local tourism to absorb P1.6 billion. in losses.

Hotels were closed, tourist-oriented shops such as souvenir shops were closed, and 4,000 workers were displaced.

Rehabilitation of the industry was planned in April, hoping to stimulate tourism as soon as possible so that businesses could recover in December, the start of the peak tourism season.

On October 22, Mayor Benjamin Magalong expanded the travel bubble to include tourists from Luzon. The city had hosted nearly 10,000 business and leisure travelers as of November 22, executing Phase 2 of the recovery plan that would open Baguio to the rest of the country, possibly by 2021.

By then, tourists would still have to register due to the pandemic.

Even in April, the city’s tourism office anticipated resistance from residents who feared the spread of the disease. At present, Baguio’s main concern is assuring the public that its healthcare system and virus surveillance protocols make the city safe.

Luzon Tourism

In Bulacan, at least 300 water parks and resorts were forced to close during the community quarantine in the province. The local tourism sector suffered losses of around P2 billion.

But when Bulacan switched to a modified general community quarantine on October 1, the city of Donya Remedios Trinidad was the first to reactivate its tourism industry. Its mayor, Marie Flores, began to ease restrictions, allowing tourists to visit the city’s tourist centers.

“Bulacan will revive its tourism industry in small steps,” Governor Daniel Fernando said, adding that “as we gradually accept tourists, we will ensure that our efforts to curb the transmission of COVID-19 are not wasted.”

Ilocos Norte also opened its doors to tourists from Luzon, but had to close the city of Laoag, the capital, on November 27 as coronavirus cases spiked.

Laoag, the province’s political, commercial and industrial center, was again subjected to a more stringent modified enhanced community quarantine on November 27. Other destinations in the province remained open to tourists who would still be subject to strict health protocols.

In Pangasinan, tourists from the Ilocos region were able to visit establishments authorized by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to operate.

Ilocos Sur opened its doors to tourists from Luzon on November 15, but required coordination with DOT-accredited agents and compliance with health protocols.

Visayas destinations

Despite the threat of the coronavirus, three prominent destinations in the Visayas have reopened to tourists in an attempt to revive their ailing economy.

Cebu province recovered its tourism activities in August, while Bohol province did so in November to provide jobs for residents whose livelihoods depended on the multi-billion dollar industry.

However, no guests at all travel destinations, in both Cebu and Bohol, were allowed to contain the transmission of the virus.

Those who want to visit tourist destinations in Cebu should register through discover.cebu.gov.ph., An online portal run by the provincial tourism task force.

The governor of Bohol, Arthur Yap, reopened the island’s province to domestic tourists, but was limited only to those attending meetings, conferences, exhibitions, weddings and other similar events.

Visitors were required to have a negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test issued 72 hours or three days prior to their trips to Bohol.

The island of Boracay in Aklan province began accepting tourists from Western Visayas in June and from other areas in October. From October 1 to October 29, tourist arrivals reached 2,337 or a daily average of 80. Sixty-one percent or 1,421 were from Metro Manila.

The number increased to 2,631 from November 1 to 24 with 1,845 (70 percent) from Metro Manila.

A group of the 20 best hotels and resorts in “One Boracay” has launched the “Boracay Better Than Ever” marketing campaign to encourage more tourists to visit the island.

Dive sites in Mindanao

DOT in northern Mindanao is positioning the Misamis Oriental province as one of the top dive sites in the country, given its rich marine ecosystem.

At least eight must-see sites have been identified in the province for divers: the Japanese Garden and Paradise Aquarium in the city of Medina, Pontoon Wreck and Sipaka Point in the city of Talisayan, Mantangale House Reef and Lapinig in the city of Balingoan, and the Gingoog Marine Protected Area and Port of Gingoog in the town of Gingoog.

DOT is generating a dive map for the province that will be promoted alongside dive destinations in the region at related national and international events, such as the Philippine International Diving Expo.

Misamis Oriental is the third province in northern Mindanao that DOT hopes to become a major destination for dive tourism. The other two are Camiguin and Misamis Occidental.

In Surigao del Norte province, Siargao island’s Sayak airport began operating on a limited basis last week when the country’s main surf destination reopened.

Governor Francisco Matugas cited only one flight per day in December, less than the four or five daily flights before the pandemic struck.

In 2019, the island received 200,000 tourists, 60 percent of whom were foreigners.

Josefina Núñez, Sayak airport manager, assured passengers that health protocols would be strictly observed at the airport as Siargao’s tourism-driven economy prepares to recover.

—Vincent Cabreza, Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Yolanda Sotelo, Nestor Burgos Jr., Ador Vincent Mayl, Leo Udtohan, Jigger Jerusalem, Erwin Mascariñas, and Inquirer Research

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