The Philippines on Thursday reopened its borders to foreign tourists, lifting a two-year ban implemented to keep local Covid-19 cases under control.
Easing border restrictions to fully vaccinated foreigners from 157 countries with visa-free arrangements with the Philippines marks the beginning of the "next chapter in the road to recovery," Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.
The Southeast Asian country, popular for its tropical beach resorts, saw visitor arrivals plunge 82% between 2019 and 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic began.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said tourists now only have to present documents such as proof of vaccination and a negative Covid-19 test result.
The Philippine bureau of immigration expected around 7,000 arrivals on Thursday alone and hoped for that number to reach 10,000 to 12,000 daily in the following months.
The Philippines initially planned to accept inbound foreign travellers from December but the plan was pushed back due to the surge of coronavirus cases fuelled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
Philippine Airlines welcomed the government's move, assuring its passengers of safety onboard through air filters and a fully vaccinated cabin crew.
Airline spokesperson Cielo Villaluna told Kyodo News the nation's flag carrier used to have about 300 flights daily, but this has been reduced to around 140 daily since the pandemic began.
The Tourism Department said over 349,000 workers in the Philippines rely on tourism. The Philippines' top tourist markets are visitors from South Korea, the United States, China, and Japan.
