Filipino tourists delay travel plans amid rising fuel charges

Many Filipino travelers are delaying their trips, with some even canceling upcoming travel plans altogether due to rising costs linked to tensions in the Middle East.

In Dano Tingcungco's report on "24 Oras Weekend," a Manila-based interviewee, originally from Visayas, shared she had planned to go home but decided to cancel for now and only travel for important occasions.

Another interviewee said their budget simply cannot cover travel expenses at the moment.

Some netizens echoed the same sentiment on Facebook, saying travel has become too expensive. For others, their “travel” is now limited to daily commutes to and from work.

The travel slowdown is also being felt by the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), especially in flight bookings, with PTAA president Jaison Yang saying, “Wala kami gaano halos inquiries.”

“’Yung sa fuel crisis naman, sa domestic, ‘yung dati mong binabayad na P300 na fuel surcharge, now, umabot na sa P1600," he added.

For international destinations, Yang said fuel surcharges alone can reach nearly P16,000.

According Still, destinations like China, Australia, and New Zealand remain popular among tourists, PTAA said.

“Kahit mag-ceasefire siya o given na matapos ang situation sa Middle East, ‘di naman agad magbabalik sa normal ‘yung presyo ng langis,” Yang said. “It will take some more [time], maybe a few months.”

Earlier, the Civil Aeronautics Board raised the fuel surcharge level for domestic and international flights to a historic high of Level 19 for April 16 to 30.

Under Level 19, passenger fuel surcharge ranges from P627 to P1,824 for domestic flights, and from P2,070.77 to P15,397.15 for international flights.

Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism shared budget-friendly alternatives and cost-saving tips for travelers planning trips amid rising fuel prices. — Hermes Joy Tunac/LA, GMA News