Philippines; one of the hidden gems in Southeast Asia that has been topping best travel destinations in the world, because of its crystal-clear waters, attractive white-sand beaches, and breathtaking mountains—which have been the main reason for foreign and local travelers to visit the country and its provinces, is currently in great doldrums as the country suffers a major drop in tourism revenues after travel restriction is implemented because of COVID-19 outbreak.

Due to the pandemic, many countries, including the Philippines, have taken precautionary measures to avoid the further spread of the virus, as President Rodrigo Duterte had announced an enhanced community quarantine and travel restrictions nationwide, on March, 2020.

The implementation has severely impacted the country’s tourism revenue and mostly to some areas that consider tourism as their number one source of income and livelihood.

According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak costs the Philippines billions of dollars in losses from the tourism sector alone.

“The outbreak would result in great loss in domestic demand, lower tourism and business travel, trade and production linkages, supply disruptions, and health effects.” ADB said.

In an article written by the Manila Bulletin, the decline in tourism revenues is about $1.16 billion, or 0.352 percent of GDP, if in a moderate scenario—where precautionary behaviors and restrictions such as travel bans start easing three months after the outbreak intensified. But if the pandemic lasts for six-months, the worse-case scenario would cost the tourism industry about $2.25 billion.

In an interview of Inquirer with the Department of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, the Secretary discussed how much the tourism sector in the Philippines has lost.

“This year, ang increase ng tourism was 8.8% nung January. We were on a roll. Nung Feb, bumagsak na siya ng 45%. Nung March bumagsak siya ng 70%, pero kung titingnan mo ang January to June, ang bagsak niya ay 68%.” Secretary Romulo-Puyat said.

Also, the DOT Secretary claimed that Philippine tourism profits more to domestic travelers or Filipinos who are travelling locally—which means that Filipinos play a huge role in helping the tourism sector in recovering its tourism.

“Actually ang malakas tayo ay domestic tourism. Ang mga Filipino, they like travelling all over the country. Nung 2018, 98 million lang ang nag-travel around the country. Nung 2019, tumaas siya ng 109 million. So, boom na boom talaga. Hindi lamang foreigners ang dumami dito sa Pilipinas, pero mas dumami rin ang mga filipino travelling all over our country.“ Bernadette said.

Watch the interview here:

Philippines has a lot to offer when it comes to perfect tourist spots. If you are into beach, water activities such as free diving, scuba diving or surfing, you can visit places in the likes of Palawan, Cebu, Siargao, Baler or La Union. 

Filipinos would really play a vital role to recover its tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic. Let us support the local tourist spots by visiting them first before travelling outside the country after the pandemic—and with their natural beauty, it’s even worth every penny.