More UAE tourists to PH seen as Emirates signs deals with DOT, PAL

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Buoyed by promising inbound visitor arrival numbers and commitments of support by the UAE's flag carrier, the Philippines appears headed for a rise in Arab holiday tourists from the Gulf region in the coming months.

Emirates Airlines has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Philippine officials led by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco during the recently concluded Arabian Travel Market 2025 (ATM), a major annual global hospitality event held here.

The UAE's flag carrier has also reached a similar agreement with Philippine Airlines (PAL).

Emirates currently deploys 28 weekly flights to the Philippines, offering approximately 22,700 weekly seats to and from Dubai. Globally, it connects travelers to over 140 destinations across the airline's network.

Growing the Gulf market

Signed on ATM's opening day on April 28 at Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC), the MOU with DOT provides that Emirates and DOT will promote the Philippines and help drive inbound tourist flows, particularly from the Middle East and Europe.

Frasco, in her speech during the Philippine Pavilion's official opening at ATM, was bullish about the MOU.

"We made our presence here in the hope that we can further grow the Gulf market," Frasco told GMA News Online.

"We have grown our Muslim-friendly tourism offerings, from accommodation establishments to our products and our restaurants. We are forging partnerships with the private sector to expand our tourism products and, of course, making sure that we expand connectivity," Frasco said.

Among these public-private sector partnerships was with Robinson's Hotels and Resorts, which operates 30 Muslim-friendly properties across the Philippines. It also had a delegation at the pavilion.

Strong 2024 numbers

In her speech, Frasco reported that 2024 was a bumper year for Philippine tourism.

"We achieved record highs," she said, adding that, "We generated P760 billion in international tourism revenues from 5.9 million visitors."

According to DOT data, arrivals from UAE jumped to 70,000 last year from 10,500 in 2019–a 666.67% increase. The 2024 visitors spent a total of $69.59 million—up by nearly 537% from 2019's $12.97 million.

There were 9,500 foreign tourists from the UAE as of April 1 this year. DOT officials said they were on track with achieving target arrival figures.

Code-sharing

Meanwhile, Emirates and Philippine Airlines have "agreed to consider the possibility of a reciprocal code-sharing agreement on flights between the Philippines and Dubai, and on select routes beyond the gateways of each partner airline," according to a statement by the UAE's flag carrier.

The two airlines met at the ATM to explore a potential expansion of their partnership to provide more convenient schedules and improved services.

A code-sharing partnership can potentially give travelers better connectivity to new destinations beyond each airline's own network, with the convenience of a single ticket, one competitive fare and one baggage policy for their entire journey.

In a media statement, Emirates said it will explore with PAL opportunities to enhance their cargo interline cooperation; exchange best practices in ground handling, catering, maintenance, and technical training; and organize joint familiarization trips for key media and trade stakeholders.

Emirates and Philippine Airlines first signed an enhanced interline agreement in March 2023 and have been connecting travelers to 10 domestic points via Cebu and Clark; as well as nine international points via Dubai.

The UAE flag carrier launched services to Manila in 1990. The airline recently opened its first Emirates World Store in Southeast Asia in Manila, reinforcing its commitment to providing Filipinos with high quality service, from booking to boarding.

PH delegation

Frasco led a delegation of top Philippine tourism officials at the ATM, including Undersecretary Myra Paz Abubakar and Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles, COO of Tourism Promotions Board Philippines (TPBP).

Also present were Ambassador Alfonso Ver, who leads the Philippine mission in the UAE, and Consul General Marford Angeles, head of the country's post in Dubai and the neighboring Northern Emirates.

There also were representatives from 21 private sector partners—11 operators, eight accommodations as well as PAL and Cebu Pacific.

The ATM 2025 was held from April 28 to May 1. — VDV, GMA Integrated News