The Department of Tourism (DOT) is pushing for the return of turboprop flights to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and the waiver of airport fees, arguing that high transportation costs are making domestic travel increasingly expensive and undermining tourism growth.
Tourism Secretary Maria Bernardita “Dita” Mathay said the agency is coordinating with the Department of Transportation (DOTr), aviation regulators and airport operators to develop incentives that would encourage airlines to reduce operating costs and pass the savings on to passengers.
“We are working with the Department of Transportation to make sure that they provide enough incentives for airlines to lower their costs. And this includes all airport operators,” Mathay told business leaders at a Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry conference.
She called on the private sector to support efforts to make air travel more affordable, noting that expensive fares and other transportation expenses continue to limit Filipinos’ ability to explore domestic destinations.
A key proposal is restoring turboprop operations at NAIA, which would make destinations such as Batanes more accessible to travelers from Metro Manila.
The transfer of turboprop flights to Clark International Airport has added another leg to domestic journeys, with Mathay pointing to the inconvenience of traveling to Clark while its planned railway connection remains unfinished.
She said transportation officials had expressed openness to discussing the allocation of limited turboprop slots at NAIA, although no specific number of slots has been agreed upon.
“Our own people who want to travel cannot travel because you have made it more expensive and put more friction” into domestic travel, Mathay said.
The push highlights the DOT’s effort to address not just destination marketing but also the cost and convenience of getting there, particularly as domestic tourism depends heavily on affordable air connectivity.
Meanwhile, the department is developing tourism packages around Clark that will showcase gastronomy, wellness, cycling and Mount Pinatubo attractions, seeking to turn the airport’s growing role into an opportunity for tourism businesses in Central Luzon.
