Kerry headed to Mideast, Asia

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry is returning to the Mideast for more peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians and then will travel on to Vietnam and the Philippines. More here: Kerry headed to Mideast, Asia

CEB mounts add’l HK Christmas flights

The Philippines’ leading low-cost carrier, Cebu Pacific Air adds one more daily flight between Manila and Hong Kong during Christmas peak season, to accommodate travel demand to Hong Kong. Utilizing Airbus A320 aircraft, CEB will operate a total of five daily Manila-Hong Kong-Manila flights on the following days only: December 20-23, 26-30, 2013 and January […] More here: CEB mounts add’l HK Christmas flights

Philippines bans worker deployment to Yemen

MANILA - The Philippines Monday banned its citizens from taking up new jobs in Yemen, following a militant attack which killed dozens including seven Filipino medical workers. Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement the government was also offering to repatriate an estimated 1,000 other citizens already employed there as medical workers or construction labourers. He said the ... More here: Philippines bans worker deployment to Yemen

DOT to focus on domestic tourist arrivals

MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) will focus on raising domestic tourist arrivals, since a slowdown is expected in the international tourism market. “Though a lot of tourism sites in the country have been affected by recent calamities, there are other destinations that can be enjoyed,” said Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Chief Operations Officer Domingo Ramon Enerio III in a... More here: DOT to focus on domestic tourist arrivals

Tourism revenues to rebuild travel destinations ravaged by Haiyan

New approach is being spearheaded by the Department of Tourism More here: Tourism revenues to rebuild travel destinations ravaged by Haiyan

PHL tourism struck by disasters, as visitors avoid even unaffected areas

The Philippines is unlikely to hit its target of five million tourists this year due to damage caused by twin disasters, a tourism official said Saturday. Tourist arrivals up to September had already reached about 3.6 million, up from the same period last year, he said. But the disasters will affect arrivals in the last three months which are the peak season for tourists. Worldwide news coverage ... More here: PHL tourism struck by disasters, as visitors avoid even unaffected areas

PH to miss tourism targets due to disasters

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is unlikely to hit its target of 5 million tourists this year due to damage caused by twin disasters, a tourism official said Saturday, December 7. Killer Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) hit on November 8 and a 7.1-magnitude earthquake on October 15, causing devastation in tourist ... More here: PH to miss tourism targets due to disasters