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Tourism Dept floats ‘travel bubbles’ for destinations with low COVID-19 risk

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ABS-CBN News

MANILA - The Department of Tourism on Tuesday said it is looking to create “travel bubbles” where people within areas with low risk of COVID-19 transmission can move around and visit destinations. The DOT said it hopes that promoting “point to point traffic between destinations that have very low or practically no incidence of COVID-19” will help speed up the recovery of the Philippine tourism industry. <figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zR9rMS25biM?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon said that from January to July, the Philippines booked 1.3 million foreign tourist arrivals. This was 73 percent lower compared to the same period last year. Tourism revenues also went down 72 percent during the period. Bengzon said that their survey of 1,000 tourism stakeholders revealed that 82 percent of the respondents were affected by the lockdowns, with workers losing their jobs, having their earnings reduced, or businesses closing down or reducing their operations.“Clearly the tourism industry has been severely affected by the pandemic and of course, this was the result of the travel restrictions imposed in the middle of March,” Bengzon said in an interview with ANC. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/07/08/20/local-travel-should-be-catalyst-for-philippine-tourism-restart-dot">Local travel should be &#x27;catalyst&#x27; for Philippine tourism restart: DOT</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/07/23/20/dot-kids-seniors-from-western-visayas-now-allowed-to-travel-to-boracay">DOT: Kids, seniors from Western Visayas now allowed to travel to Boracay</a></li></ul>Bengzon, however. said that the DOT is banking on local tourists to “accelerate the recovery of the industry.”In 2019, local tourism contributed 10.8 percent to the GDP as Filipinos spent P3.4 trillion for trips within the country, Bengzon said. “We’re very confident that as we open up local destinations, it will be the local tourists who will be creating or stimulating the demand,” Bengzon said. The key to this, however, will be ensuring the health and safety of tourists in accommodations, tour transportation, and in restaurants and shops, he said. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://loadtest.abs-cbnnews.com/business/06/09/20/corregidor-cruise-operator-shuts-down-as-covid-19-batters-tourism-industry">Corregidor cruise operator shuts down as COVID-19 batters tourism industry</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/31/20/bohol-to-get-p21-billion-world-bank-loan-to-revive-pandemic-hit-tourism-sector-tourism-chief">Bohol to get P2.1 billion World Bank loan to revive pandemic-hit tourism sector - tourism chief</a></li></ul>

The DOT said it hopes that promoting “point to point traffic between destinations that have very low or practically no incidence of COVID-19” will help speed up the recovery of the Philippine tourism industry.

The DOT said it hopes that promoting “point to point traffic between destinations that have very low or practically no incidence of COVID-19” will help speed up the recovery of the Philippine tourism industry.