Low Fares and additional air seats to boost Chinese arrivals

The Philippines is expecting more Chinese tourists in the next couple of months, with additional flights opening between mainland China and Taiwan to Cebu and Kalibo.

According to the Philippine Department of Tourism, new flights are in anticipation of the tourist influx in Cebu which will last until this year’s latter part to the early months of next year. More and more local airlines are now offering cheap airline tickets that attracts more foreign tourists.

“Direct flights to their chosen destinations are a growing demand from the Chinese market which continues to be a stable source despite the crisis,” Tourism Secretary Ace Durano stressed.

Upcoming flights include Kaohsiung – Cebu charter flight via China Airlines for 5 days a week; Guangzhou – Cebu, twice weekly chartered flight, via China Southern Airlines; Shanghai – Kalibo via Shanghai Airlines, twice weekly chartered flight; and Hangzhou – Kalibo via Philippine Airlines, also twice weekly.

“With help from the Civil Aeronautics Board, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration, the Bureau of Customs, and our partners in the industry, we have been aggressively pushing for these additional seats, to accommodate the inbound Chinese tourists,” added Durano.

The new chartered flight to Kalibo is already fully-booked, with the first few departures including some members of the Chinese media who have been invited by the agency for a series of familiarization tours of the famed beach of Boracay.

Apart from stimulating the market, the new air seats and low fares will allow local travel and tour operators to tap a greater number of potential Chinese travelers.

“We are strong on all factors that draw Chinese tourists to a country. We have value-for-money destination packages,  pervasive Chinese influences, and visa-upon-arrival for tourists,” said Eduardo Jarque Jr., Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions.

“We also position ourselves as a prime destination for Chinese couples wanting to have their wedding and honeymoon abroad,” Jarque further said.

Among other things, the DOT is promoting the Philippines as a shopping and beach haven to the said market.

Cebu has enjoyed the highest number of Chinese arrivals early this year, posting a remarkable percentage of growth, while Boracay is the most-favored destination among the beach-bound Chinese tourists. Check out this blog in the future for more travel info.

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