Manila – Efforts to lure tourists to less-travelled parts of the Philippines have gotten airline support as Cebu Pacific spotlights flights to secondary cities from Manila, starting with the March 25 launch of its Manila-Batanes route.

Charo Logarta Lagamon, director – corporate communications, corporate affairs, Cebu Pacific Air, said: “The Philippines is more than just Manila and Cebu, and even Boracay. There are so many other places that are ready for tourists, but are not receiving much attention yet.”

She listed Palawan; the Batanes archipelago, which boasts unspoiled beaches and historical Spanish ruins; as well as Davao, which is “safe to travel in” despite the portrayal of Mindanao in the media.

“Holidaymakers want non-stop flights, so we have partnered with Cebu Pacific to push for more (Philippine) destinations and entice Singaporeans to travel here,” said Zeny Pallugna, senior tourism operations officer, office of tourism development, Philippine Department of Tourism.

Lagamon hopes that greater awareness of these areas will also entice travellers to choose cities like Manila and Cebu as a stopover – en route to other destinations – from which to explore hidden gems in the Philippines.

Cebu Pacific will launch direct flights from Manila to Melbourne on August 14 this year, making the Australian city the airline’s 27th international destination. (TTG)