Airlines increase services to Philippines as travel demand surges for Easter

  • Date: 12-Mar-2023
  • Source: Gulf News
  • Sector:Transport
  • Country:UAE
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Airlines increase services to Philippines as travel demand surges for Easter

Dubai: Travel between the UAE and top destinations in the Philippines – Manila, Cebu, and Clark – is witnessing unprecedented demand from expatriates and tourists during peak tourism season from March to April. The onset of the super-peak tourist period during the Holy Week/Easter, which falls on April 9 this year, has pushed up traffic from the UAE, according to travel agents operating in the sector. Moreover, UAE and Philippines carriers are going all out to make the best out of the seasonal demand. Geoffrey Salatan, Managing Director at MRG Pinas Travel, said: “Demand to the Philippines largely depends on seasonality. March, June, July, August, and December are peak selling and peak travel period for us.” He explained: “Most passengers prefer direct flights. However, since the Philippines is a price-sensitive market, most travellers, especially expatriates heading home for the holidays, would consider connecting flights with a shorter layover.” And airfares to destinations in the Philippines have risen since 2019, as 2023 marks the first year since the removal of all pandemic-triggered travel restrictions. On average, ticket prices for direct flights have increased to Dh2,034 (Manila) and Dh2,102 (Cebu) compared to the Dh1,960 travellers were paying in 2019. Another factor driving