CENTRAL Visayas’ tourism industry suffered an estimated P87 billion in foregone revenues from the month of January to June 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 Director Shahlimar Tamano, the industry, which was the economy’s major growth driver last year, bore the brunt of lockdowns caused by the deadly novel coronavirus.
“We are one of the most badly affected industries by the pandemic. With economic activities suspended, businesses were forced to close down as non-essential travel and movement were prohibited. This created a domino effect in the industry as planes were grounded, establishments suspended their operations, workers lost their daily income and other micro, small and medium enterprises in the supply chain,” Tamano said during the “Bring It On” tourism webinar for the Cebu Business Month.
Stranded tourists
With the first known Covid-19 case discovered in the country in February, there were immediate cancellation of flights followed by the closure of city and provincial borders which trapped thousands of tourists, Tamano said.
“It prompted different embassies to repatriate tourists back to the their home countries,” he said.
The DOT 7, he said, assisted more than 10,800 stranded foreign tourists and 2,477 domestic tourists via the DOT-chartered flights from the different provinces in the country.
Around 19,647 returning overseas Filipinos were also assisted which helped generate much-needed income for 1,200 establishments in the accommodation sector and tourist transport vehicles after a few months of inactivity.
Reopening
To revive the industry, the DOT 7 partnered with local government units and other stakeholders to reopen the industry under the new normal.
Tamano said the different provinces in the region worked together to focus on tourism revival activities in Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor and Negros Oriental.
The DOT 7 also cited its efforts in the reopening of tourism enterprises in compliance with government-imposed safety protocol.
“In compliance to the guidelines released by the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging and Infectious Disease, the DOT issued certifications to all accommodation establishments that wish to operate under the community quarantine,” he said.
The DOT 7 approved 94 certificates of authority to operate and 285 provisional certificates. It also accredited 822 primary tourism enterprises as of July 30, 503 of which were from the accommodation sector.