Why would Filipinos holiday at home if abroad is cheaper?

Earlier this year, a screenshot of a domestic airfare went viral in the Philippines for all the wrong reasons. The flight was from Manila to Batanes, the country’s remote northern tip. The price: 27,000 pesos (US$440) – enough to fly to Taipei or Hanoi, check into a decent hotel and still have money for dinner. That disconnect sits awkwardly alongside Manila’s latest effort to rev up domestic travel. On Friday, the Department of Tourism launched “Discover More to Love”, a campaign of discounted...