WITH the lowering of community quarantine status in many parts of the country and lifting of travel restrictions, a number of Filipinos have taken to traveling and going on pandemic breaks with their loved ones.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat, however, feels more can still be done to help the tourism sector get back on its feet. For one, the price of Covid tests needs to be further cut, and another, local governments have to ease the visitors’ experience by providing smart tourism platforms.
Romulo Puyat noted that testing for Covid-19 remains expensive and out of reach of budget-conscious travelers and that a cheaper option will encourage more domestic trips, without sacrificing the test-before-travel requirement of many local government units (LGUs).
“The added cost of Covid-19 tests can be quite significant especially for big families traveling together. I brought this up with the IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] because a slash in the cost of RT-PCR tests would encourage more travelers to pursue their travel plans. In return, this will spur economic activities and reinvigorate the tourism industry,” she said in a news statement.
More certified saliva test labs
Last October, the IATF already put a price cap on RT-PCR nasal swab tests at P5,000 for private hospitals and laboratories, and P3,800 for public health facilities. “If PGH and PCMC can offer swab tests at P1,800 and P1,500, respectively, why can’t the other hospitals,” asked the DOT chief.
Lowering such cost will also provide relief to individuals who need the test, such as our returning overseas Filipinos and overseas Filipino workers, she added.
Romulo Puyat also called on the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) to certify more facilities performing saliva-based RT-PCR tests. At present, only the Philippine Red Cross has been certified by RITM to conduct such test, at P2,000 per head.
“If more hospitals and laboratories are certified to conduct saliva tests, this cheaper alternative will be more accessible to the public and will be recognized by more LGUs in their entry requirements for local travelers. But needless to say, the facilities conducting such tests should be thoroughly screened. We defer to DOH [Department of Health] in addressing this concern,” she stressed.
Smart tourism projects
Meanwhile, over P11.65 million has been spent by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) to help boost the digitalization projects of several local governments.
This is in keeping with the DOT’s goal to transform the tourism experience in the country to a safer and seamless digital platform. The TPB is the marketing arm of the DOT.
Romulo Puyat said, “Digital innovations are playing a crucial role in the recovery of the tourism industry. Not only do they improve the efficiency of business operations, and promotions, they also allow for a safer environment through contactless transactions, virtual meetings, and visitor registration and monitoring.”
As of June 2021, the funds were downloaded to LGUs for projects involving the development of the Visita platform, an online visitor management and monitoring system; setting up of local tourism websites and mobile applications, and digital marketing tools.
The first recipient of TPB funds to set up the Visita app was Baguio City, in October 2020. Other recipients now include the regions of Ilocos, Central and Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Metro Manila, and the provinces of Bohol, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Quirino and Zambales; the cities of Bacolod, Davao, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Tuguegarao; as well as the municipalities of Agoncillo in Batangas, El Nido in Palawan, and Pasil in Kalinga.
A recent output of the funding is Oriental Mindoro’s tourism web site www.travelorientalmindoro.ph and mobile application “Lakbay Oriental Mindoro.” Launched on July 8, these are digital travel guides to the province’s 14 municipalities.
Also ongoing are the El Nido LGU’s travel app update, development of Visita apps in Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Zambales, and construction of the tourism website of Dumaguete City.
Tie-up with Viber
In another digital initiative, the DOT has tied up with Viber, the country’s leading online messaging platform, to promote its KAIN NA! Food and Trade Festival.
Romulo Puyat cited the huge benefit to be gained from the partnership. “We at the DOT are very happy with this partnership as this will not only help us promote the Festival but also promote our food and farm tourism merchants as well.”
She added, “With the decision to finally ease quarantine restrictions again, we are hopeful to see a faster recovery of the Philippine tourism scene.”
With the partnership, food and farm tourism merchants endorsed by the DOT from all over the country can join the Viber FoodPH bot—the official food directory on the Viber app—to help boost their presence online.
KAIN NA! is a hybrid food and travel festival, in partnership with Ayala Malls, offering an array of digital events along with the presence of physical booths to promote the produce and services of food and farm tourism.
Earlier this month, the DOT also partnered with mobile video-sharing app TikTok and launched its #SarapMagingPinoy campaign, which aims to promote local recipes and celebrate Filipino culture.
Images courtesy of Natalyasemenova | Dreamstime.com and tourism.gov.ph