MANILA, Philippines – Emirates Airlines and the Department of Tourism (DOT) signed a landmark agreement which seeks to promote the Philippines as a “premier destination” and “drive growth of arrivals of travellers in the country.”
At the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Mart (ATM) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday, the DOT and one of the world’s leading airline firms, Emirates Airlines, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), further solidifying the country’s strong partnership with the airlines to “promote the Philippines in Middle East, Mediterranean, and European markets.”
“The collaboration of the Department of Tourism with Emirates is a vital step in establishing the Philippines as a premier leisure gateway for travellers 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 Philippine Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.
Frasco stood as witness to the signing of the MOU signed by Undersecretary Verna C. Buensuceso of the DOT, and Mr. Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Far East, the DOT stated.
Photo courtesy of Department of Tourism (DOT)
Under the memorandum, the DOT and Emirates 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.”
The DOT also mentioned that both parties 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. This collaboration between the Department of Tourism and Emirates not only strengthens our tourism sector but also fosters deeper cultural ties between our regions,” Frasco enthused.
Meanwhile, Abbas hailed the Philippines’ capability to attract more travellers 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. 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, with a global network that 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, DOT stated.
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.
Based on DOT’s Statistics, Economic Analysis and Information Management Division, the country received a total of 21,576 travelers from the UAE, as of April 28, 2025.
Since reopening its borders to international travelers in 2022, the Tourism Department has recorded a “steady growth” of tourist arrivals.
According to data, there were 2,084 visitors from the UAE from February to December 2022; 43,962 in 2023; and 69,995 recorded in 2024.
The Philippines also earned an estimated 11.81 million US dollars from travelers in the UAE in 2022, 45.77 million US dollars in 2023, and 69.59 million US dollars in 2024. The tourism revenues from UAE tourists recovered by as much as 536.6 percent in 2024, the DOT noted.
