Tulfo calls for travel tax erasure anew, promotes local tourism

Senator Erwin Tulfo has renewed his call to abolish the travel tax for Filipinos, this time emphasizing its impact on promoting local tourism.

“The problem is, the travel tax increases airline fares. The government cannot campaign for local tourism if fares are expensive,” Tulfo said in an interview on DZRH’s Dos Por Dos on Monday morning.

He explained that part of the collected travel tax is allocated to the programs and projects of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), but argued that the benefits are not felt by Filipinos.

“The problem is, it’s a bit unclear where it goes. It would be even better if it went to the lounges of OFWs,” he suggested.

Tulfo also stressed that exploring local destinations should be a national priority. “Unfortunately, we don’t see the places in our own country,” he said.

He added that removing the travel tax would make local trips more affordable and boost domestic tourism, while also making international travel easier for Filipinos.

According to Tulfo, the country’s current travel tax ranges from P1,620 for economy class to P2,700 for first-class passage.