PH regaining luster among travelers

Global hospitality platform Airbnb is upbeat on the recovery of Philippine tourism as more foreign travelers seek accommodations with the reopening of borders.

In a statement on Monday, Airbnb reported that searches by international guests for accommodations in the country had risen by more than 140 percent in the first quarter from year-ago searches.

“Since the country eased all travel restrictions in April, there has been an incredible amount of enthusiasm among international travelers looking to travel to the Philippines,” it said, suggesting that the “travel industry is once again spurring economic recovery for the country.”

With the rise of digital nomads, Airbnb said the Philippines could take advantage of the opportunities for long-term stays or booking for 28 days or more.

More than a third of the local guests were booking accommodations for travel and remote work.

Manila was the top destination for both foreign and local guests, followed by Quezon City and Cebu.

“It is heartening to see that Airbnb guests from around the world are looking to revisit the Philippines – as well as explore it for the first time – which bodes well for the sector’s ongoing recovery and for our local community of hosts,” said Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb general manager for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan. INQ