More chartered flights going to Boracay: DOT

The Department of Tourism (DoT) is anticipating the influx of direct international chartered flights going to and from Kalibo, the gateway to the country’s famous Boracay Island.
Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said this year, they see additional charter flights from mainland China as an offshoot of the recent charter flights from Taiwan.
"The DOT is facilitating the opening of charter flights from mainland China. We are expecting the Shanghai-Kalibo charter to open on July 16, 2009 to be serviced by Shanghai airlines twice a week," Durano said.
He added that "the plans for the Nanjing-Kalibo and Hangzhou-Kalibo direct charters are being finalized with partner airlines but hopefully all will be operating before the year ends," he added.
Trans Asia, a new player to Taiwan-Kalibo route will have six flights a month.
The total monthly seat capacity to Kalibo will be 1,912 seats. These charter flights will run for a period of three months, subject to continuous operations if the conditions are favorable.
Just recently China Airlines added two flights a week, making it four times weekly flights from Taiwan. This was previously serviced by Mandarin Air.
Last year, with the introduction of direct charter flights from Taipei to Kalibo by Mandarin Airlines, Boracay has become the top beach holiday destination in Taiwan.
"Taiwanese tourists in the island increased by 254 percent or 12,828 from only 3,621 in 2007," he said.
Based on the data from the DOT, foreign visitor arrivals to the premier beach resort reached 208,870 last year, a 14 percent improvement from 2007.
The charter flights from May to December 2008 brought a total of 7,182 tourists or an average of 1,197 per month during the charter period.
"Kalibo airport serves as the international gateway for Boracay Island and more direct international flights could still be opened as we continue to work in uplifting the tourism sector in the country," he said.
Durano requested the Bureau of Customs (BoC) to have a permanent customs counter in Kalibo airport.
"With all these developments we believe that setting up a permanent customs –immigration-quarantine (CIQ) station in Kalibo airport would be for the best interest in the region," he said adding that it would usher seamless travel to Boracay.
The Tourism chief added that the permanent CIQ in Kalibo would be an incentive to international airlines and charterers as it helps in lessening their operating costs.
Fernandino Tuason, BoC-Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) intelligence chief, said they are now working on the setting up of the satellite office in Kalibo, also to ensure that this would not be used as an entry point for contraband cargoes.
The BoC is coordinating with the district collector of the Port of Iloilo, as the agency’s satellite office is expected to be operational this month.