Earlier this year, a screenshot of a domestic airfare went viral in the Philippines for all the wrong reasons.The flight was from Manila to Batanes, the country’s remote northern tip. The price: 27,000 pesos (US$440) – enough to fly to Taipei or Hanoi, check into a decent hotel and still have money for dinner.That disconnect sits awkwardly alongside Manila’s latest effort to rev up domestic travel. On Friday, the Department of Tourism launched “Discover More to Love”, a campaign of discounted hotel, airline and package bundles designed to nudge Filipinos into exploring their own backyard.It has been billed as a companion to “Love the Philippines”, the government’s foreign tourist drive.Tourists enjoy a beach on an island off the coast of Palawan province, the Philippines. Photo: AFPSpeaking at the campaign’s launch event in Santa Rosa City, Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said it was created “to encourage Filipinos to explore more of our own country and discover even more reasons to love the Philippines”.
Why would Filipinos holiday at home if abroad is cheaper?
Manila wants Filipinos to explore their own backyard. But when Batanes costs twice as much as Taipei, it’s a tough sell.
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