Emirates Airlines to promote Phl as top tourist destination

Help is on its way to further boost the Philippine tourism industry, as one of the world’s renowned airline companies, Emirates, has collaborated with the Department of Tourism to promote the country as a leading global destination.

The sealing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) to promote the Philippines as a top tourist destination was done between Tourism Undersecretary Verna Buensuceso and Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Far East, on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai on Monday.

“The collaboration of the Department of Tourism with Emirates is a vital step in establishing the Philippines as a premier leisure gateway for travelers from the Middle East and Europe, not to mention provide additional air seats and options for the Filipino diaspora in this part of the world who wish to go back and visit our country,” said Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who stood as witness to the signing of the MOU.

The MOU mandates that both parties will come up with plans to “promote the Philippines in Middle East, Mediterranean, and European markets.”

Further, the two agencies will also “co-promote each other's projects and programs through media platforms to ensure wide reach and engagement,” with Emirates promoting the Philippines throughout its network.

In addition, they will “jointly explore and implement activities to develop and promote tourism in the Philippines, using Emirates’ services for mutual benefit,” as well as “work on expanding flight routes and frequencies to key destinations in coordination with other government agencies and relevant sectors.”

“By creating a strategic framework for joint marketing and advertising initiatives, we aim to significantly boost visitor traffic from Emirates' extensive global network. This collaboration between the Department of Tourism and Emirates not only strengthens our tourism sector but also fosters deeper cultural ties between our regions,” Frasco said.

For his part, Abbas said Emirates’ partnership with the DOT proved the capability of the Philippines to attract more travelers from across the globe.

“Emirates began serving the Philippines nearly 35 years ago, making it one of the longest-served destinations across our entire global network. Our continued partnership reflects the strength and popularity of this Southeast Asian destination — not only for leisure travelers but also for businesses and entrepreneurs,” he said.

Dubai-based Emirates is the world’s largest international airline. Its global network spans 140 destinations across six continents. The airline serves the Philippines with 28 weekly flights to Manila, Cebu, and Clark — equivalent to 22,700 weekly seats to and from Dubai.

The Philippines received a total of 21,576 travelers from the UAE as of 28 April 2025, based on data from the DOT’s Statistics, Economic Analysis, and Information Management Division.

Further, the country has seen steady growth in tourist arrivals since it reopened its borders to international travelers in 2022, recording 2,084 visitors from the UAE from February to December 2022, 43,962 in 2023, and 69,995 in 2024.

The Philippines also earned an estimated $11.81 million in tourism revenues from UAE travelers in 2022, $45.77 million in 2023, and $69.59 million in 2024.

On the other hand, tourism revenues from Emirati tourists recovered by as much as 536.6 percent in 2024.