Gov’t hopes to lure in more tourists through regional airports
President Marcos said he wants to open up the country’s tourist destinations to international travelers without them having to go through Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Manila.
On Monday, he led the groundbreaking ceremony for the new passenger terminal building of Caticlan Airport, the main gateway to Boracay Island, which is famous worldwide for its white sand beaches.
“We are very happy and we are all very excited that we are slowly putting together the building blocks of our policy of opening up our areas, tourist areas, our business areas to international travelers without having to go through the Manila airport,” he said in his speech.
“The influx of people, of travelers, is going to be a big boost to the local economy and, I might add, the national economy,” he added.
The President noted that the tourism sector currently contributes close to eight percent to the country’s gross domestic product.
While tourist arrivals in the country’s Southeast Asian neighbors have bounced back to prepandemic figures, the Philippines has yet to fully recover.
Last year, it recorded only 5.9 million international tourist arrivals, missing the 7.7 million target due to a sharp decline in Chinese visitors.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said last month that the government aims to privatize the operations and maintenance of 10 more regional airports by 2028 to improve connectivity across the archipelago through public-private partnerships.
These are the airports in Iloilo, Davao, Siargao, Laoag, Busuanga, Bicol, Tacloban, Bacolod-Silay, General Santos and Puerto Princesa.
“The idea is to open up the Philippines, not necessarily only through Manila, but on international flights coming from Europe, coming from Southeast Asia, coming directly to the tourist destinations,” Mr. Marcos said.
San Miguel Corp. chair and CEO Ramon Ang committed to finish construction of Caticlan Airport’s new passenger terminal building in 24 months, or by July 2026, as promised by its contractor Megawide Construction Corp.
“It is already in my schedule, 24 months, I am coming to cut the ribbon,” Mr. Marcos said, adding: “But if you can finish it earlier, in 18 months, I won’t complain.”
