MANILA, 1 February 2022: The Philippines will open its tourism door to fully vaccinated travellers starting 10 February, according to a government statement released at the weekend.
Earlier, the country had planned to welcome tourists back in December but delayed the opening when the more contagious Omicron variant gained a footing.
“The (reopening) will contribute significantly to job restoration, primarily in tourism-dependent communities, and for businesses that had earlier shut down,” Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said in a statement on the revised opening date.
Quarantine requirements for Filipinos end today, 1 February.
Meanwhile, tourism officials in Boracay welcomed the latest update noting foreign tourists have been unable to visit for close to two years. They are speeding up the issue of guidelines and protocols, but it is understood Boracay will still require negative PCR test results and proof of vaccination when visiting the island.
Commenting on recovery prospects, officials conceded it could take up to five years to get back to normal. In the meantime, Boracay did welcome around 33,000 domestic visitors during January.
