MANILA, 28 March 2024: The Philippines and Thailand should sign the “two-country, one-destination” initiative as early as this June, according to a report by the Philippines News Agency that quoted a reliable diplomatic source.
The PNA report said the two governments would ramp up promotions to encourage two-way tourism and tourists from third countries to visit both Thailand and the Philippines when in Southeast Asia.
“A memorandum of understanding (MOU) on tourism cooperation between Thailand and the Philippines includes the two-country, one-destination concept. One of the priorities outlined in the proposed MoU calls for direct flights between secondary cities in the two countries. For example, a new route from Cebu to Phuket in Thailand could be developed. That could involve supporting airlines to develop routes that tourists visiting the region could book to visit beach resorts in both countries.
In 2023, Thailand welcomed 28 million international travellers, and around 10 million visited Phuket from Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and China.
When the two countries sign the MoU, the challenge is to convince airlines that there is enough traffic to justify new routes, such as the one linking Phuket and Cebu.
Thailand and the Philippines mark 75 years of diplomatic relations on 14 June, which could be the date the MoU will be officially signed. Aside from tourism, cooperation between Manila and Bangkok continues to grow in trade, culture, education, and agriculture, among others.
(Source: PNA)
