LOOKING AHEAD

BERNA ROMULO-PUYAT on backlash against travelers, vaccine passports, and what’s next for Philippine tourism

- JACS T. SAMPAYAN

Over the past year, the tourism and hospitality industries continue to be one of the hardest hit by the global health crisis. About 88 percent of respondents from this sector said in a July 2020 analysis by Price Waterhouse and Coopers says that they expected a 50 percent loss in earnings as lockdowns severely restricted tourism activity.

With cities and regions in the country going in and out of different types of quarantine, the industry continues to suffer for it. These businesses, services, and properties are clamoring to reopen with revamped safety features in place. But many are still obviously apprehensive of any sort of leisure travel— for perfectly valid reasons. And those who do venture out of their homes to go on trips or weekend getaways are met with angry social media posts that question their character and sense of responsibility.

Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat insists, however, that the anger is directed toward carelessness and not at travel per se. “There is only backlash when tourists either do not follow health and safety protocols, or if they falsify their medical documents in order to travel,” she says.

Health and safety remain the topmost priority for her department even as they continue to promote domestic travel. In addition to protocols being constantly communicated to travelers, they have been working with local government units (LGU) and tourism establishments to ensure that these measures are in place and strictly implemented.

She says that their work at the Department of Tourism (DOT) is centered on the gradual reopening of tourist destinations to support the livelihood of tourism workers in the country.