Easing of travel requirements welcomed
AIRAsia Philippines welcomes the government’s decision to ease the restrictions in Metro Manila to Alert Level 2. The world’s best low-cost airline is confident that this will encourage even more Filipinos to engage in domestic travel, most especially during the peak Summer season.
This development in restrictions gives local government units in the provinces the option to relax their own protocols for visitors coming from the National Capital Region.
With the change in alert levels, the “no vax, no ride” policy was also lifted, boosting mobility with caution and standard safety protocols still in place.
Additionally, facility-based quarantine is no longer required for arriving Filipinos and international travelers while fully vaccinated travelers are instead required to submit a negative RT-PCR test taken at least 48-hours prior to their departure from their country of origin.
Summer destinations have started to accept guests as early as this month.
AirAsia Philippines said the bookings for forward travel 31-90 days in advance have increased by 25% while immediate travel from 0-30 days has risen by 17%.
Tacloban and Cebu are the top destinations of choice for February travel while Caticlan (Boracay) dominates the March and April bookings.
AirAsia Philippines spokesperson Steve Dailisan said:
“The downward trend in COVID-19 cases is very encouraging for the different sectors here in our country, domestic tourism included. We are optimistic that this, along with the strategic easing of safety protocols across regions, will reinforce the confidence of local tourists to re-explore and reconnect with our own culture, heritage and top destinations. We encourage everyone to continue being vigilant and cautious as we work together in sustaining the positive progress of our country’s pandemic response.”
Some local government units in the provinces have relaxed their travel protocols following the announcement of Metro Manila’s downgrade to Alert Level 2. The provincial government of Aklan for instance has amended its executive order and immediately scrapped the negative RT-PRC requirement for fully vaccinated tourists. Meanwhile, the provincial government of Negros Occidental has decided to require an Antigen test instead.
