Several bookings from the recent earthquake and tsunami-affected tourist destinations like Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka are being channeled to resorts in the Philippines.
According to the Department of Tourism (DoT), several calls are being received by some of the country’s upscale resorts as a result of cancellations from the areas affected by the biggest disaster ever to hit Asia.
DoT Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano said, "We have alerted our overseas attaches and regional directors to provide details on the various classes of resorts and facilities so that interested travelers will be adequately informed in making their decisions to visit the Philippines."
"Our resorts are usually fully-booked during this time of the year. However, we understand the unusual clamor for more bookings in our resorts at this time. Many tourists, especially from the western countries, are escaping the cold weather. Our tropical islands and the natural warmth of Filipinos are the right mix for a memorable and enriching vacation," he added.
The Philippines has many first-class resorts, particularly in the islands of Boracay, Cebu, Bohol, Palawan, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros and Camiguin.
Other resorts are along the fine-sand beaches and mountain hideaways of Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Southern Tagalog, Central Luzon, the Cordilleras, Misamis and Davao.
Last Sunday’s ocean surge was triggered by a 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake, the biggest in 40 years off the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It spreads in an arc across the Indian Ocean, striking from Indonesia to Sri Lanka and beyond, to Africa.
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