INQUIRER Global Nation

ILOILO CITY—The Department of Tourism (DOT) is urging travel operators and tourism industry players to focus on boosting domestic tourism to offset losses from an expected decline in foreign travel due to the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic.

Tourism regional director in Western Visayas Edwin Trompeta said Sunday they have been advising tour operators, owners of hotels and resorts and other tourist destinations to offer more attractive packages to stimulate domestic travel.

“We are encouraging more conventions, study tours, seminars and other activities to offset any drop in foreign tourists,” Trompeta said.

He said they expected a drop in foreign travel in 2009, because of the pandemic and because of the continuing impact of the global economic downturn.

The World Health Organization last month declared an H1N1 flu pandemic and raised the alert level to Phase 6, the highest, after receiving reports of more than 27,000 cases and nearly 200 deaths worldwide. This was the first flu pandemic declaration in 40 years.

The Department of Health (DOH) has reported 861 cases in the country, as of Friday, with 634 or 74 percent having recovered from the infection.

While the DOH has lifted the mandatory 10-day quarantine for those arriving from foreign travel because of the generally mild flu strain in the country, it advised the public to continue practicing social distancing like avoiding public gatherings or crowds.