This figure reflects the “continued recovery and the gains” of the country’s tourism sector, a top official from the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Wednesday, July 19, 2023.
The country’s inbound tourism receipts from January 1 to June 30 also went up to P212,467,522.100.14, which is 502.02 percent higher than the P35,292,495,457.14 tourism revenue generated in the same period last year.
The tourism sector had experienced a drought for nearly two years due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
“We are glad to report that in roughly seven months, we have already achieved the three million international visitor mark, reflecting continued robust recovery and the gains of the Marcos administration towards the resurgence of Philippine tourism,” said Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco in a statement.
“Tourism provides employment and livelihood to millions of Filipinos. We are grateful for the renewed interest worldwide in the Philippines which offers a multitude of reasons to love travel across our islands,” she added.
Frasco also expressed gratitude to Filipinos who continue to travel domestically, supporting local communities and families who are all part of the tourism value chain.
Top arrivals
Of the over three million international arrivals, 91.36 percent or 2,740,802 are foreign tourists, while the remaining 8.64 percent or 259,277 are overseas Filipinos.
The country had most tourists from South Korea, at 741,658 or 24.72 percent of the total arrivals; followed by 550,569 or 18.35 percent from the United States; 146,062 or 4.87 percent from Australia; 143,227 or 4.77 percent from Japan; and 132,018 or 4.40 percent from Canada.
Other visitors were from China, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Malaysia.
In 2022, the country’s international arrivals reached 2.65 million, surpassing the agency’s target of 1.7 million foreign visitors, which translated to P214 billion or roughly $4 billion in estimated revenues, exceeding the targeted revenue of P155.03 billion by 38.06 percent.
For this year, the DOT’s target for foreign visitors is 4.8 million, the same level before the Covid-19 pandemic struck the world.
In May, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023 to 2028 that aims to transform the country into a tourism powerhouse in Asia.
The plan includes ways to address essential issues of tourism development, such as the development of infrastructure, connectivity, as well as digitalization, the equalization of tourism, development and promotion, the enhancement of overall tourism experience as well as the strengthening of tourism governance.
Frasco said programs under NTDP will be anchored on Filipino culture, heritage and identity.
The DOT launched on June 27 its new tourism campaign slogan “Love The Philippines.” (TPM / SUNSTAR PHILIPPINES)