Tulfo urges DOT to lower domestic airfares to boost local tourism

Sen. Erwin Tulfo reiterated his call for the Department of Tourism (DOT) to work on lowering domestic airfare prices to boost local tourism, noting that Filipinos often choose to travel abroad because flights within the Philippines are more expensive.

During the Senate debates on the 2026 DOT budget, Tulfo pointed out that one-way tickets to Batanes or Tawi-Tawi can cost more than round-trip flights to Hong Kong.

Sen. Loren Legarda, sponsor of the DOT budget, responded that the DOT acknowledges high airfare as a major barrier to domestic travel and is coordinating with the DOTr, Civil Aeronautics Board, DTI, and the Philippine Competition Commission to address the issue.

Tulfo highlighted that the Philippines currently ranks low in Southeast Asia in terms of international tourist arrivals.