DOT: Layover tours for NAIA transiting passengers eyed

MANILA, August 27 ----- The Department of Tourism said it is eyeing the launch of layover tours for airline passengers with connecting flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

DOT NCR Regional Director Sharlene Zabala-Batin said they are now finalizing the details of the project and are already in coordination with the Bureau of Immigration and other government agencies. She said the tour would be for tourist sites near the airport and would be offered to passengers with at least 6 hours of layover. She said it may require transit visa for some passengers. "We still have a lot of things to do before the layover tours are made available for our domestic, lalo na for international tourists," said Zabala-Batin during a media briefing organized by a hotel group.

The layover tours are seen to help boost the tourism industry, the official said. The DOT said the tours may be linked with the planned "Hop On, Hop Off" bus for the Pasay-Paranaque route which is expected to be launched in October. Other "Hop On, Hop Off" routes were recently launched in Makati and Manila. New routes are planned for Quezon City, Taguig and the San Juan-Pasig-Mandaluyong areas.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com