Hotel operators appeal for financial assistance as government scraps mandatory quarantine for foreign arrivals

Philippine hotel operators are seeking financial stimulus from the government following the removal of the mandatory quarantine for select international arrivals, as the country prepares to open its border for leisure travel.

According to Philippine Hotel Owners Association (PHOA) Executive Director Benito “Bong” Bengzon, a number of local hotels are recording single-digit occupancy due to removal of the mandatory quarantine.

“The reason for this is that many of them were really banking on occupancy and the reason for this is that many of them were really banking on the quarantine guests for the revenue stream,” he said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay virtual forum on Wednesday.

“This has been put to a halt almost completely and has therefore affected the revenue stream,” he continued.

This comes as the Philippine government dropped the mandatory facility-based quarantine requirement for international travelers and returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The country will also open its borders for business and leisure travelers starting Thursday, February 10, for the first time in two years since the pandemic hit.

“Moving forward, even as we open our borders to international travel, it is important to provide a lifeline to the hotels which have been suffering. We see that the next six to 12 months will be difficult,” Bengzon said.

“What we would like is some kind of financial assistance coming from the government to help tide us over in the next six to 12 months, and perhaps this is something we can discuss in greater detail with the relevant agencies,” he elaborated.

For her part, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the tourism industry is only expected to grow further as the country reopens its borders for international tourism.

“I think it is safe to say that we have moved past the part of worrying wave with the significant dwindling of the COVID cases. The DOT can now push forward with their plans,” she said in the same forum.

Puyat reported over 90% vaccination rate among tourism workers, and the industry is looking forward to the entry of foreign tourists on Tuesday. — LA, GMA News