With the recent resurgence of Philippine tourism, Claris, 19, has been getting big tips lately. Working as a sex worker in a poor country, which tries to rediscover tourism as a growth driver of the economy, Claris uses her pretty face and charm to entertain foreign tourists searching for a wonderful experience in the island paradise. She works in a place where paid sex is P2,500 an hour.
The Philippines expects to welcome 18,000 cruise passengers this year from 15 visits of Costa Cruises, Europe’s top cruise company.
In a statement, the Tourism Department said the figure is almost twice the 10,000 passengers from Costa Cruises who visited Manila last year.
“Cruise ship tourists are a valuable segment of our arrivals as they come from the high-spending, silver markets of Europe and the US. I am pleased to note that beginning October of this year, Costa Cruises will upgrade to a bigger vessel that carries twice the number of passengers on board,” Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said.
Global air passenger traffic rose 11.7 percent year-on-year in May 2010, according to the Geneva-based International Air Transport Association (IATA). "Demand rebounded strongly in May following the impact of the European volcanic ash fiasco in April. Passenger traffic is now 1 percent above pre-recession levels, while the freight market is 6 percent bigger," Mr. Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's director general and CEO said.
A survey conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in 2009 found that 22.8 million Filipinos with ages 15 years old and above traveled for any purpose within the country during the period 1st April to 30th September 2009. The 2009 Household Survey on Domestic Visitors (HSDV) also shows that on the average, each traveler made two trips and visited two places in the country during the reference period.
US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. has conveyed his apology to Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario for his previous comment that 40 percent of male tourists visiting the Philippines do so for sex tourism, according to a report by Philippine Star. The American diplomat, who made his comment during a forum on human trafficking, caught the ire of some politicians who felt offended by a frank statement from a foreign dignitary. Although sex trade is tolerated in night districts in Manila, Cebu, Davao and other major cities in the country, the government insists that prostitution is illegal here.
The Department of Tourism warned that it has received several complaints/reports regarding tours and travel bookings made on the internet through on-line booking websites for non-delivery of service or unethical business operations.
“This is to remind the public to be more cautious and conscientious in transacting business with these types of operators. Before booking or purchasing any tour or travel services on-line, please check if the agent/operator is DOT-accredited. A list of DOT-accredited enterprises is available at the DOT website,” it said.
International passengers departing the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) will no longer have to line up to pay the terminal fee starting 1st October 2014. The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said it...
Cebu Pacific, the largest budget airline, has expressed deep regrets for “operational lapses” that led to massive flight delays and cancellations during the Christmas holidays. “Today six out of ten Filipinos choose to fly...
Real estate developer Century Properties Group Inc. has partnered with Forbes Media, the US publisher of Forbes Magazine, to build the first Forbes-branded office building in Makati City. The office building, called Forbes Media Tower, will
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