Fully vaccinated tourists welcome to travel to the Philippines starting 10 February

A reopening in the Philippines was scheduled for last December, but was delayed because of concerns regarding the Omicron variant

More countries are reopening their borders to foreign and domestic tourists, as the Philippines is set to grant entry to fully vaccinated visitors starting 10 February 2022.

A reopening in the Philippines was scheduled for last December, but was delayed because of concerns regarding the Omicron variant.

It will now be possible for tourists from visa-free countries to enter the country, as long as they can show proof of negative RT-PCR tests taken within 48 hours of departure from their country of origin.

Currently, the Department of Foreign Affairs lists more than 150 countries that are eligible for visa-free entry into the Philippines. These include Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK.

“While this will be the first time the Philippines is opening its doors for foreign leisure travelers since the start of the pandemic, the tourism industry has prepared for this development for close to two years,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat in a conversation with the Philippines News Agency. “We look forward to welcoming our foreign visitors once again especially with Metro Manila, the country’s main international gateway, placed under Alert Level 2.”

Furthermore, as he emphasised in an interview with CNN, it will contribute significantly to the restoration of jobs, especially in tourism-dependent communities that were heavily affected by the pandemic.

More: The Philippines’ hotel industry foresees strong recovery in 2022

Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) chief-operating-officer Ma. Anthonette Velasco-Allones stated that the country has established 79 tourism circuits, which are travel-ready spots scattered throughout the country. According to her, these destinations are more than ready for visitors.

She also expressed her optimism about the state of the tourism industry this year saying, “Our outlook for the tourism industry in 2022 is actually quite optimistic. Imagine the first major global summit [World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit] will happen in the Philippines in April.”

Health and safety protocols will still be implemented to prevent the virus from spreading.

The Property Report editors wrote this article. For more information, email: [email protected].