High domestic airfares hit

MANILA, Philippines, December 10 ------ The Department of Tourism (DOT) should urgently address skyrocketing domestic airfares, Sen. Erwin Tulfo said, as he pointed out that the prohibitive costs are driving Filipino travelers to foreign destinations rather than local spots.

He issued the call at the Senate plenary debates on the 2026 DOT budget, during which he also highlighted the pricing disparity that makes international travel more attractive than domestic tours. “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.

The senator argued that expensive flights are the primary barrier to Philippine competitiveness vis-à-vis its Southeast Asian neighbors. Citing travel data from January to August 2025 by Indonesian media outlet seasia.stats, Tulfo noted that the Philippines recorded only 3.96 million international arrivals. This is starkly lower than Malaysia’s 28.24 million, Thailand’s 21.88 million, Vietnam’s 12.9 million, Singapore’s 11.6 million, and Indonesia’s 10.04 million. “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,” Tulfo said.

To maximize the country’s potential, he recommended establishing direct flights to provinces and promoting underrated destinations such as Marinduque. Sen. Loren Legarda, sponsoring the DOT budget, acknowledged the issue. She said consultations are underway to finalize a code of conduct for online travel agencies. The measure aims to ensure transparency and fair pricing in compliance with the Internet Transactions Act.

Source: philstar.com