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Following an unprecedented rise in travellers to the region, The Philippines Department of
Tourism is pleased to announce an increase in direct flights to the Philippines from major
Australian cities, as well as the recent opening of a new, state-of-the-art and eco-friendly
international airport in Bohol, and the addition of a second terminal at Cebu International
Airport.


Norjamin Delos Reyes, Tourism Attaché at Philippine Department of Tourism Australia and
New Zealand said, “The Philippines is already seeing the start of what we expect will be a bumper year for tourism in the region, with the local travel industry preparing for its biggest year to date, estimating anunprecedented number of international travellers to our shores in 2019 and beyond.
“Located just a short 8-9 hour flight away from Australia, the Philippines is making its way on
to people’s bucket list of places to visit in 2019, and this significant increase in flight frequency
between the Philippines and Australia, across both countries’ premier airlines is a direct result
of consumer demand for greater connectivity to the region.” said Ms Reyes.

A total of 48,064 passengers travelled between Manila, Melbourne and Sydney on direct
connections mounted by Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Qantas in November
2018, up 31.3% year-on-year1. Cebu Pacific launched a new Melbourne route in August 2018,
and now has three weekly flights from Melbourne to Manila, plus five weekly flights from
Sydney to Manila. Qantas has also introduced a seventh weekly flight on its Sydney to Manila
route, whilst PAL offers daily flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Manila, along with four
weekly flights from Brisbane to Manila. From 31 March 2019, PAL will also offer 9 weekly
flights from Sydney to Manila.

“Over the last four years, The Philippines has become more and more popular with Australian
visitors, and the inclusion of major airlines expanding their flight to the region is a true reflection

of this. Australians have never been so connected to our archipelago paradise!” said Ms.
Reyes.

Catering for this increase in travellers is the new Bohol-Panglao International Airport (BPIA),
which opened its doors in November 2018, and is expected to welcome more than two million
visitors in its first 12 months. BPIA is the Philippines’ first eco-friendly airport, and has been
designed and constructed with long-term environmental considerations in mind, including a
solar power system that will soon supply all of the airport’s energy needs, and an expansive
rainwater catchment system.

In addition, the recent launch of Terminal 2 at Mactan Cebu International Airport has well and
truly secured the region as an international gateway. The new terminal is being used for
international traffic, which has more than doubled over the past four years, and has the
capacity to accommodate another doubling of international traffic.