A landmark partnership will be made between the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) and Emirates, one of the world’s leading airline firms, to promote the Philippines as a top tourist destination in the world.
At the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the DOT and Emirates Airlines signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote the Philippines as a premier destination and drive growth of arrivals of travelers in the country.
“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 Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who stood as witness to the signing of the MOU signed by Undersecretary Verna Buensuceso of the DOT, and Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Far East.
Under the memorandum, the DOT and Emirates will come up with plans that would “promote the Philippines in Middle East, Mediterranean, and European markets”.
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 Emirates’ 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.”
“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,” the tourism chief stressed.
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.”
“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 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.
It also launched in November 2024 its Emirates World retail store concept in Manila, “introducing a fully immersive experience for Filipino customers,” according to the airline.
As of April 28, 2025, the Philippines received a total of 21,576 travelers from the UAE, according to statistics from the DOT’s Statistics, Economic Analysis, and Information Management Division.
The country also saw a steady growth of tourist arrivals since it reopened its borders to international travelers in 2022. There were 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 from travelers in the UAE in 2022, $45.77 million in 2023, and $69.59 million in 2024. The tourism revenues from UAE tourists recovered by as much as 536.6 percent in 2024, the DOT noted.
