How The Philippines Plans To Tackle Soaring Airfares And Boost Domestic Tourism: Dot’s Bold Strategy To Keep Travel Affordable For All!

Published on February 4, 2026

In a bid to reside rising concerns complete escalating home airfare prices, nan Department of Tourism (DOT) successful nan Philippines has called for stricter hose regulations and greater transparency successful pricing. As nan country’s tourism manufacture continues to recover, nan DOT Secretary, Christina Garcia-Frasco, stressed that affordable travel is important to maintaining nan sustainability of home tourism. The department’s telephone comes arsenic airfares proceed to rise, moreover arsenic domestic tourism numbers soar, threatening to limit accessibility to celebrated destinations, particularly successful nan country’s regional and land areas.

Rising Airfares Impacting Domestic Travel

The Philippines has witnessed a record-high level of home tourism pinch complete 134 cardinal section trips successful 2024, cementing its position arsenic a leader successful Southeast Asia for home tourism. This roar successful tourism demand has brought successful complete $70 billion successful revenue, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. However, arsenic nan number of home travelers increases, truthful excessively person nan costs of aerial travel, pinch high airfare prices now posing a imaginable obstruction to accessibility.

Secretary Frasco voiced concerns during a Senate Committee connected Tourism hearing, underscoring nan request for greater oversight and transparency successful hose pricing. She called connected nan Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to guarantee that airfares stay just and reasonable, arsenic required by rule nether Republic Act No. 11682. According to Frasco, while airlines are operating arsenic backstage businesses, they must admit their nationalist work to balance commercialized interests pinch public service.

Tackling Accessibility Challenges: The Need for Transparency

Despite nan continued occurrence of nan Philippine tourism sector, accessibility to location destinations remains a increasing issue. In particular, island destinations specified arsenic Siargao, Palawan, and Basco trust heavy connected turboprop aircraft, which person constricted seating capacity. This, coupled pinch higher airdrome fees, taxes, and restricted runway capacity astatine smaller airports, results successful inflated airfare prices for these routes.

Senators and manufacture stakeholders person raised alarms complete nan lack of infrastructure astatine cardinal home airports, peculiarly successful smaller provinces. Sen. JV Ejercito, chair of nan Senate Committee connected Tourism, noted that expensive airfares are often a reflection of inadequate facilities and neglected infrastructure. He called for a semipermanent improvement scheme that ensures airports, seaports, and transport hubs meet global standards and are equipped to grip nan increasing number of travelers.

Government Action: Improving Air Travel Accessibility

To reside nan rising airfare costs, nan DOT has been moving intimately pinch respective authorities agencies, including nan CAB, Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and nan Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), to create a broad strategy for regulation and consumer protection.

Frasco has pushed for nan creation of a monthly hose summons pricing index, which would supply nan nationalist pinch greater transparency regarding airfare trends. The scale intends to monitor fare fluctuations, forestall abrupt value hikes, and research nan anticipation of fare ceilings to protect consumers. The DOT hopes that this inaugural will bring accountability and stability to aerial recreation pricing, particularly arsenic nan assemblage continues to retrieve from nan pandemic.

The Role of Foreign Investment and Infrastructure Development

Alongside airfare regulation, nan DOT is besides focused connected improving infrastructure to guarantee nan sustainability of domestic travel. Sen. Loren Legarda stressed nan request for a whole-of-government approach to reside nan challenges of airfares, infrastructure, and security. She highlighted that nan DOT unsocial cannot tackle these challenges, arsenic budget allocations for airport construction, maintenance, and expansion autumn nether different authorities departments.

The DOT besides plays a important domiciled successful enhancing nan domestic connectivity basal for tourism dispersal. In 2025, nan section supported nan motorboat of 23 caller world flights connecting Manila, Cebu, Clark, Iloilo, and Kalibo to cardinal overseas cities. These caller world routes thief summation tourist arrivals from abroad, but affordable home flights are basal to guarantee that foreign visitors tin recreation wrong nan state and acquisition aggregate destinations.

Addressing nan Tourism Infrastructure Gap

While nan tourism assemblage is growing, airports and proscription hubs crossed nan state proceed to suffer from capacity constraints. The Air Carriers Association of nan Philippines (ACAP) pointed to higher airdrome fees and taxes arsenic contributors to rising ticket prices. Additionally, nan constricted capacity astatine small home airports intends airlines are often restricted to smaller aircraft, which limits nan number of seats and drives up costs.

Jose Enriquez Perez de Tagle, typical of nan ACAP, explained that galore of nan country’s land destinations are served chiefly by turboprop aircraft, which increases operational costs and yet results successful higher airfare prices. To mitigate this issue, nan DOT is moving pinch nan CAB and nan DOTr to find solutions that would thief increase formation frequency and accommodate larger aircraft astatine home airports.

The Way Forward: A Collaborative Effort for a Sustainable Tourism Industry

As nan Philippine tourism sector continues to grow, it is important that affordable home aerial travel remains a priority. The DOT’s telephone for stricter regulations connected hose pricing and improved infrastructure improvement is basal for sustaining growth successful nan home recreation industry.

The department’s efforts to modulate ticket prices, beforehand consumer protection, and invest successful tourism infrastructure will thief guarantee that aerial recreation remains accessible and affordable for each Filipinos. At nan aforesaid time, nan ongoing coordination betwixt authorities agencies will thief create a seamless, efficient, and sustainable recreation experience for some local and world travelers.

The government’s efforts to heighten domestic travel and tourism accessibility bespeak a holistic approach that will use tourists and local communities alike. In nan agelong run, these reforms will thief nan Philippines proceed to build a thriving tourism economy, positioning nan state arsenic a leading destination successful Southeast Asia.