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House, govt' urged to find ways to cushion nCoV's tourism impact
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has directed two House committees to study measures aimed at mitigating the negative effects of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) on the Philippines' tourism and travel industry.
The House committees on tourism and economic affairs will collaborate with the Department of Tourism (DOT) to evaluate the immediate and upcoming impacts of the virus, ensuring that tourism growth remains on track.
Cayetano acknowledged the necessity of flight cancellations and travel bans from affected areas in China but emphasized the need for a proactive plan to lessen the economic impact.
He stressed that the Philippines must be prepared for a prolonged outbreak and should not adopt a passive 'wait-and-see' approach to protect the tourism sector.
Data from the DOT indicates that Chinese tourists accounted for 1.63 million of the 7.4 million international tourist arrivals in the Philippines from January to November 2019.
Chinese tourists are the second-largest group of spenders in the country, having spent approximately PHP51 billion (USD979.4 million) in the first half of 2019.
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