Metro Manila, Philippines – The Philippines has opened new direct air routes from China as the government ramps up efforts to revive tourism arrivals and strengthen international connectivity.
The Department of Tourism announced the launch of new direct flights linking Manila to Hangzhou, Changsha, and Chongqing, expanding travel access between the Philippines and major Chinese cities.
XiamenAir launched its inaugural Hangzhou-Manila service on May 20, while Qingdao Airlines opened its Changsha-Manila route on May 16. XiamenAir also started direct Chongqing-Manila flights on May 21.
Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said the additional routes form part of the administration’s efforts to restore air connectivity with China, one of the country’s key tourism markets.
“Under the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we are accelerating the restoration of air connectivity from China because we recognize that this market remains one of the Philippines’ biggest opportunities for tourism growth,” Angara-Mathay said.
She noted that Chinese visitor arrivals have posted strong growth this year despite airline seat capacity from China recovering to only about half of pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
“This tells us that the challenge is no longer demand alone — it is our ability to convert that returning interest into actual travel through sufficient, reliable, and commercially sustainable access,” the tourism chief added.
The Hangzhou-Manila route will operate four times weekly until Oct. 31, 2026. The Changsha-Manila service is on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, while the Chongqing-Manila route will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
The DOT said the Chongqing route is the 33rd new direct international route launched to the Philippines since the start of 2025.
From Jan. 1 to May 19, official data stated that the country recorded more than 7.7 million international air seats for direct inbound flights, an 8.31 percent increase year-on-year.
China accounted for 4.56 percent of total visitor arrivals last year, according to tourism data.
The government has also expanded international connectivity through new and resumed flights linking Manila and Cebu to destinations including San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Paris, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand.
