More tourists seen with Phl aviation’s rating upgrade

MANILA, Philippines - With the lifting of the Significant Safety Concerns (SSC) rating on the Philippine aviation industry, more foreign tourists would be coming to the country, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said yesterday.

Achieving the government’s target of luring 10 million foreign tourist by 2016 is now almost certain because of the upgrade.

“The development will certainly make the country more competitive and contribute tremendously in achieving the 10 million target by 2016,” the DOT said.

The DOT said the government is now readying to implement key reforms to push and sustain the growth in the country’s tourism industry.

After a safety audit last February, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) finally lifted the SSC issued on the Philippines five years ago.

The DOT said the lifting of the SSC is one of the crucial steps that will lead to increased flights to and from the Philippines.

“Local carriers can soon mount flights to long haul markets like the United States and Europe, thus foreign and local tourists can travel to the country with greater confidence,” the DOT said.

The DOT said the government has shown its commitment in ensuring that travel is more fun in the Philippines as it takes action to resolve the deficiencies noted by ICAO.

The DOT congratulated the other government agencies, including the Department of Transportation and Communications and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Phulippines, for their tireless efforts in boosting the image of the Philippines as a safe destination.