Tourist traffic between Philippines and France continues to rise

CEBU, Philippines — The tourist exchange between the Philippines and France continues to rise, a trend seen beneficial for both countries, an official said.

In a recent interview, French consul general consul Christian Hue said there are more and more Filipinos visiting France.

In the same way, the number of French people wanting to visit the Philippines is also increasing.

"There are more Filipinos wanting to go to France," he said.

France maintained its rank as the world's top destination, welcoming 82.5 million international visitors last year.

The number of foreign visitors is currently rising: almost 70,000 Filipino tourists visited France last year despite the lack of direct flights.

In 2015, a total of 45,505 tourists from France were reported to have visited the Philippines. They also contributed $34 million in tourist receipts during the year.

France has been identified as one of the top 20 emerging markets of Philippine tourism, posting a 21.96 percent growth in the first seven months of 2016 to 35,378 arrivals from 29,007 in the same period in 2015.

The Department of Tourism had said it was setting its sights on the emerging market of France and targets to double tourist arrivals from the European country to the Philippines by 2020.

The tourism agency wants to tap into the growing market of French tourists in the country and entice more of them to visit in the next four years.

“The French travel market is prominently figuring on our radar as more and more tourists from that side of the world consider the Philippines as their choice of destination. And it is our goal to double these numbers in the next four years,” DOT Secretary Wanda Teo had said in reports.

French Ambassador Thierry Mathou had cited the potential of the Philippines as a market for French tourism.

He said promoting France, the top tourist destination worldwide in terms of arrivals, in the Philippines is strategic because the country is a fast-growing market in Asia for tourism.

“We are already the top European destination for Filipino travelers, and we are committed to maintaining this leading position,” he added.

Mathou said tourism is also a strategic sector for the Philippines.

In the context of the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between our two countries this year and the launch of “PhilFrance: Feel French!” festival, the France Embassy seeks to promote the development of tourism both ways. The embassy was actively discussing with the Department of Tourism to implement the memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries in 2015 in the sector of tourism.

This MOU was signed by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development and the Department of Tourism during the state visit of French President François Hollande to the Philippines in 2015. It seeks to provide a framework for increased cooperation in the tourism sector.

Like the Philippines, France is also predominantly Christian nation, which makes it attractive for Filipino tourists.

France has the widest range of spiritual sites open to the general public of any country in Europe.

It has around 50,000 religious buildings, among which 10,000 are listed as Protected Historical Monuments and some are even listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

France also has 163 shrines, from the most famous cathedral to the smallest chapel. (FREEMAN)