LOCAL tourism players will bolster efforts to attract domestic customers, as the global novel coronavirus (nCoV) threat discourages travelers from going abroad, Philippine Tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said Thursday.
“Mismong private stakeholders natin magkakaroon daw sila, sa airlines magkaka-promo sila. Sa mga hotel, magbababa ng presyo,” Romulo-Puyat said in an interview.
“Win-win sa atin ito. Baka naman mas maganda nga nito ay ang ating mga kapwa Pilipino ay umikot sa Pilipinas. Madami kasi sa mga kababayan natin ang natatakot mag-abroad ngayon,” she added.
Puyat said local tourism has remained unaffected by the nCoV threat.
Recently, the Philippines imposed a temporary entry ban on visitors from China, Hong Kong, and Macau, resulting from the nCoV scare.
Several airlines have canceled flights between the Philippines and China, following the enforcement of the ban.
She said travel restrictions will definitely have an impact on the Philippine tourism industry, but the safety of the workers in the sector and the public is more important than other considerations.
About 1.4 million Chinese visited the Philippines in the first 10 months of 2019, making China the country’s second largest tourist origin. (GMA News)
