DOT Invites Tourists to Visit the Philippines Again in 2016

Taking off from the success of the Visit the Philippines Year (VPY) 2015 campaign, the Department of Tourism (DOT) launches Visit the Philippines Again (VPA) 2016 as part of its intensive marketing efforts to establish the Philippines both as a tourist and business destination.

“Visit the Philippines Again 2016 is going to be the most massive retail-focused effort the Philippines has ever made. We are negotiating with tour operators and travel agents to give incentives to returning visitors to the Philippines,” DOT Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. said.

Aside from the special packages for visitors, the DOT, together with its Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), has partnered with the private sector and local government units in promising a bigger, greater, and more exciting line up of events and tourism product offerings that showcase the country’s competitive advantage as a destination. Among these major events include the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2016, Routes Asia 2016, Madrid Fusion Manila 2016, 2016 Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship, MTV Music Evolution 2016, and the Travel Blog EXchange (TBEX).

“2016 will be a year of again. Our VPA campaign will again highlight the Philippines as a multi-level experience destination with our warm Filipino people, exciting activities, and endless new discoveries in our award-winning destinations that are worth a repeat visit. We are also putting together packages and rewards, so that when a tourist returns to the Philippines for a second or fifth time, he will get discounts in several establishments,” the tourism chief added.

Of particular note for the Middle East is the “Kids Stay Free Campaign”, which has been designed exclusively for families (both nationals and expatriates), living in the G.C.C. and offers exceptional value.

The campaign packages provide two children per family under the age of 11 with an exciting array of activities, food, accommodations and other experiences all on a complimentary basis. Additionally the packages allow families to twin both the Philippines capital Manila with another exotic Philippine destination such as Cebu, Palawan, Boracay, Bohol, Davao or Bicol, allowing for both an urban and idyllic getaway experience.  

The Philippines’ no visa requirement for G.C.C. and many other nationals, plus it’s many popular shopping experiences, tranquil beaches and numerous family-friendly attractions has resulted in an increasing number of G.C.C. residents choosing to make the Philippines their holiday destination of choice.

Accordingly to the latest statistics available a total of 65,642 visitors from the G.C.C. visited the Philippines between January and September 2015, resulting in a 12% increase compared to 2014 figures for the same period. Amongst those, the number from Saudi Arabia was the highest at 40,453 travelers, which was an increase of 17% compared to the year before. Visitors from the United Arab Emirates were the next highest, followed by visitors from Kuwait.