DOT welcomes PAL chartered flights to Russia

MANILA, Philippines - More Russian tourists are expected to visit the Philippines when Philippine Airlines (PAL) chartered flights from the Russian Far East to Manila starts operations this month.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said it is the first time a Philippine carrier will fly in Russian skies. 

“The fun in the Philippines can now be experienced by more tourists from Far East Russia,” he said.

“The facilitation of charter programs from this region of Russia, which is only four and a half hours away from Manila, is one of our key strategies to catalyze growth.  

“Russia is a priority opportunity market of the DOT that is envisioned to contribute to the target of 10 million international visitors by 2016.”

Tourism Assistant Secretary Benito Bengzon Jr. said this year, the DOT hopes to increase the number of Russian tourists to the Philippines by about 30 percent.

The bulk of tourists for this maiden flight will be visiting Boracay, a trend destination for many Russian tourists.

The partner ground handler for this program is Uni-Orient Travel Inc.

Vladivostok and Khabarovsk, key cities in the Russian Far East, were ranked second and fourth biggest sources of tourist arrivals from Russia, posting growth rates of 37 percent and 83 percent, respectively, from the previous year.

The chartered flight is a collaboration between the 60 offices around the region of the Primorsky Agency of Aviation Companies TM Biletur, the biggest travel company in the Russian Far East region which has been in operation for the past 18 years.

From October 2013 to April 2014, PAL will run regular charter flights every 12 days connecting Vladivostok and the Russian Far East  to the prime tourist destinations of the Philippines.

Last Oct. 27, PAL touched down at NAIA Terminal 2 carrying over a hundred Russian tourists.

From September 2012 to April 2013, Biletur was able to sell 1,500 room nights in the Philippines to their clients.

Visitor arrivals from Russia reached 28,270 in 2012, growing by 40 percent and becoming the fastest growing market for the Philippines out of Europe.

For the first eight months of 2013, Russian arrivals reached 21,736, growing by 32.53 percent over the same period in 2012.

The DOT targets 5.5 million foreign tourist arrivals for 2013 and 10 million by 2016.