Tourists urged to visit Philippines island resorts after Typhoon Haiyan

SURE, it looks tough, but will you take one for the team? Booking a holiday can help the Philippines recover from disaster.

Can you help fill in this picture? Abeach on the Philippines resort island of Boracay.

PHILIPPINES travel experts and government tourism officials are urging tourists not to abandon the Southest Asian nation after it was hit by one of the most powerful typhoons on record.

Travel agents and tour operators specialising in the Philippines say major tourist sites such as Manila, Cebu, the chocolate hills of Bohol and the island of Boracay were largely spared the fury of Typhoon Haiyan, which may have killed as many as 10,000 people.

They say tourists travelling to the areas will experience few problems and have no reason to cancel or postpone their trips.

"I'm sure everything will settle but we know it will take a long time," Philippine Holidays managing director and Philippine honorary consul in Victoria, Virginia Kalong said.

"However, most of the tourist sites were not damaged and this is the time we need tourists most."

While she said her company had fielded inquiries from anxious travellers, there had only been a handful of cancellations.

"We are not really having any cancellations or panic from tourists," she said.

"We are use to calamities in the Philippines and we get through them and persevere.

"We are hopeful bookings are still coming and people will realise they can still go there any time as a tourist."

Other travel agents based in Sydney and Melbourne said customers who have booked to travel to the Philippines between now and Christmas have not changed their minds.

Australia is the fifth largest source of international visitors to the Philippines, with 131,977 arrivals between January and August this year.

While a large proportion of those are part of the large expatriate Filipino community living in Australia, a growing number of Australians are seeking out the country's more than 7000 islands as a more relaxing alternative to crowded beach destinations like Bali or Phuket.

The country's tourism department released a statement in an attempt to reassure tourists the country remained "a safe and fun destination for all tourists, notwithstanding this unfortunate incident."

"Tourism establishments and tourism activities continue and remain in operation in the other parts of the Philippines, which play host to some of the country's key tourist destinations," the department said.

So far the signs are positive that visitors will continue to travel to the Philippines.

A Qantas spokesman said the airline, which flies to Manila four times a week, hadn't experienced a significant reduction in bookings as a result of the typhoon or a higher rate of cancellations.

For flights and holiday packages visit flightcentre.com.au

For tourism information visit the official Philippines tourism site