Tourist arrivals hit record high in two months

MANILA, Philippines - The number of foreign visitors in the Philippines hit a record high of almost a million in the first two months of the year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) announced yesterday.

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said the country had 854,187 international arrivals in January and February, or 10.5 percent higher compared to the same period in 2012.

“The country extended its record-breaking run by surpassing the 400,000 arrival mark for both January and February,” Jimenez said, noting that the uptrend in foreign visitors is expected to continue until the summer months.

Jimenez said foreign arrivals in February soared by 15.52 percent to 418,108, with tourists from Hong Kong posting a growth of 93.80 percent at 23,097 arrivals.

Korea has remained the top contributor with 241,116 arrivals, followed by the United States with 120,868 and Japan with 73,621 visitors.

Other major tourist arrivals were recorded from China at 69,610 visitors, 37,921 from Taiwan, 34,095 from Australia, 25,800 from Singapore; 25,338 from Canada, 18,947 from Malaysia, 18,563 from United Kingdom, and 13,774 from Germany.

DOT said double-digit gains were also experienced in significant source markets such as India (24.99 percent), Russian Federation (23.97 percent), Malaysia (23.42 percent), Singapore (14.47 percent), and Australia (11.43 percent) from January to February 2013.

“Our tourism numbers are now reaching unprecedented heights. Our efforts are in full swing to raise greater demand, facilitate entry and access to the different destinations, and for our suppliers and host communities to come together and create fun-filled experiences,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez added the government is already implementing infrastructure projects, addressing connectivity and multi-modal access to enable the country to achieve its target of 5-million foreign tourist arrivals this year.

With the recent lifting of the Significant Safety Concerns by the International Civil Aviation Organization, Jimenez expressed confidence that the Philippines can lure more foreign visitors to the country.

“We shall see greater traffic to and from more destinations, stimulating more business for both foreign and local carriers. With the upward trend in visitor arrivals and recent surge in real estate development, airline companies will begin to see the viability to fill our capacities and make the Philippines a part of their primary route offering. It will be an interesting four years in the run up to our 2016 goal,” he added.