MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) hailed the recent increase in the latest number of foreign tourist arrivals in the country, reaching 202,700  as of April 7, 2022.

Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat expressed her satisfaction with the latest figures, noting such to be a welcome development following the sustained reopening of our borders and loosening of travel restrictions.

"The sustained influx of tourists in the Philippines is a good measure of the industry’s success in its preparations to welcome foreign tourists in the new normal. Our high vaccination rate among tourism workers and reportedly low cases around the country have helped restore the confidence of travelers to visit the Philippines during the summer season," Puyat stressed.

"This continued growth shall aid our stakeholders, as well as the economy, in recovering from the effects caused by the pandemic," she added.

Based on the data generated from the One Health Pass (OHP), foreign arrivals from the USA topped the list with 43, 744 visitors since the country reopened its borders to foreign leisure tourists.

This is followed by Canada with 9,618; United Kingdom with 9,315; South Korea with 8,440; and Australia with 8,212 tourists.

According to the Tourism chief, the Philippines still has one of the simplest and most relaxed travel restrictions, following the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases' (IATF-EID) move to allow the use of rapid antigen test as entry requirements for travelers; on the condition that this should be administered and certified by a healthcare professional in a healthcare facility, laboratory, clinic, pharmacy, or other similar establishment for purposes of entry, testing, and quarantine protocols.

Moreover, Puyat lauded the IATF-EID’s decision to expand the list of accepted and recognized national COVID-19 vaccination certificates, which now includes Bangladesh, Mexico, Pakistan, and Slovak Republic. (DOT)