Commercial flights and ferry trips are expected to resume with the reopening of tourism in the province in mid-November, a tourism sector official said Thursday.

According to Lucas Nunag, chairman of the Provincial Tourism Council, the tourism industry through the so-called “tourism bubble” will not be able to open without commercial sea and air trips.

“Kanang sa opening [tourism], call nana ni governor pero mura’g di man ka maka-open sa tourism without commercial flights ug sa ferry pud na, very likely,” Nunag said.

For now, only sweeper flights are allowed to cater to locally stranded individuals, overseas Filipino workers, and authorized persons outside of residence or APORs.

Airplane fare for sweeper flights have been noted to be expensive reaching up to threefold more than the pre-pandemic commercial rates.

However, Nunang noted that it would ultimately be up to Governor Arthur Yap to decide whether or not commercial flights and sea trips in the province will be allowed to resume.

The Capitol meanwhile continued its preparations for the opening of the province’s tourism bubble.

On Wednesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque arrived in Bohol as part of efforts to promote the reopening of Bohol tourism.

The national government through the Department of Tourism has been moving to resuscitate the slumping tourism industry even as the country remained among the top 20 nations with the most number of COVID-19 cases in the world. (A. Doydora)