EUROPEAN tourists are worried that other tourist destinations in the country might suffer the same fate as Boracay, which not only had authorities cancel prebooked trips but also refuse to refund the payments.
The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) went on a tourism mission in Europe a few weeks ago, wherein the group tried to pitch the Philippines to tour operators there.
European tourists, however, were concerned about tourism developments in the country, according to ECCP President Guenter Taus.
These concerns came in the wake of the Duterte administration’s decision to shut down Boracay for six months starting April.
The decision— which was met with a mixed, if not mostly negative, reaction from stakeholders — was made to address the island’s environmental issues.
“It was clearly verbalized when we were there. They said if they (the government) can close one island, they can close any island, any time,” he said on the sidelines of a press briefing on Thursday night.
He said it had become harder to pitch the Philippines to tour operators, especially given the experience of some who couldn’t get their money refunded because it was allegedly force majeure.