By Brix Lelis | The Manila Times
September 20, 2023
THE country’s tourism industry has been on a better trajectory this year as demand for travel bookings have risen, Travel Sale Expo 2023 Chairman Michelle Taylan said.
“The increasing tourist arrivals are actually also one of the testaments that our tourism industry is now getting back to its normal footing,” Taylan said during a media event on Monday for the expo slated from September 29 to October 1 this year.
She noted that some airlines and hotels have been experiencing increased demand for individual bookings due to revenge travel following the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We just came from the pandemic, and the thirst of the people to travel is still there, even with problems with the inflation rate,” Taylan noted. “We are experiencing problems, but people still want to travel.”
The Travel Sale Expo chairman added that the revived tourism industry has also opened more opportunities for businesses and employment.
“Whenever there is tourism, there is business. Wherever there is business, there are jobs. When there are jobs, we can help many people,” she asserted.
The Department of Tourism’s (DoT) active promotion of the Philippines locally and globally, and its new “Love the Philippines” tourism slogan — launched earlier this year — might also have contributed to the growth of tourist arrivals, Taylan said.