Sen. Erwin Tulfo pressed tourism authorities to confront soaring airfares, warning that high prices are discouraging Filipinos from exploring local destinations and instead pushing them to book cheaper overseas trips.
The concern emerged during Senate deliberations on the 2026 Department of Tourism (DOT) budget, where Tulfo questioned why traveling abroad can sometimes cost less than visiting remote provinces. “Our people would rather go to Hong Kong or Taiwan, because the one-way ticket going to Batanes or one-way ticket going to Tawi-Tawi is more expensive compared to a round-trip ticket going to Hong Kong,” Tulfo said.
He pointed to travel figures showing that the Philippines lagged behind its Southeast Asian neighbors in foreign visitor arrivals from January to August 2025, citing information from Indonesian media outlet seasia.stats. Tulfo noted that the country reported 3.96 million international arrivals during the period, while Malaysia posted 28.24 million and Thailand recorded 21.88 million. He also mentioned Vietnam at 12.9 million, Singapore at 11.6 million, and Indonesia at 10.04 million.
Tulfo argued that the steep cost of flying within the country is the most pressing obstacle preventing the industry from competing regionally. “This is the major hindrance to boost local tourism – the skyrocketing ticket prices. We have beautiful beaches in Basilan, and we have beautiful beaches in Jolo, Tawi-Tawi, and other parts of the country. We have a beautiful scenery in Batanes. Unfortunately, it is too pricey,” he said.
He suggested expanding direct air connections to more provinces and encouraging travelers to consider lesser-known locations, including Marinduque, as part of efforts to strengthen domestic tourism.
Sen. Loren Legarda, who sponsored the DOT budget at the plenary, acknowledged the matter and said ongoing discussions aim to craft a code of conduct for online travel agencies. She explained that the initiative seeks to promote transparency and fair pricing consistent with the Internet Transactions Act.
