The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) has recorded a double-digit rise in foreign tourist arrivals in the country’s travel destinations.
International tourist arrivals reached 662,987 as of April 2019 in the latest report released by the national tourism agency. The number marks a 12.15 percent growth from 591,137 in the same period last year.
2018 was a record-breaking year for the Philippines as the archipelago welcomed a record 7,127,168 foreign tourists.
The Philippine islands of Palawan, Boracay, and Cebu have steadily gained worldwide popularity for travelers who flock to the country for beaches, seas, and the Pinoy culture.
The top five markets with their respective volumes and growth rates in the latest DOT report are:
- China with 139,177 (+26.77%)
- Korea with 130,707 (+13.68%)
- USA with 87,710 (+2.5%)
- Japan with 57,724 (+17.75%)
- Australia with 28,683 (+13.41%)
The foreign visitor count for January to April 2019 totaled 2,867,551, or an increase of 8.57 percent over 2,642,241 of the same period in 2018.
DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat credited the rise in numbers to private sector involvement and improved connectivity.
“With the heightened marketing initiatives with the private sector and travel trade counterparts in the various markets, improved connectivity arising from new flights, additional frequencies and expanded capacity brought about by new and upgraded airports, we anticipate more visitors to keep this upward trend sustained,” Secretary Puyat said in the DOT report.
“We also attribute increased travel movement and consumption to continued efforts in developing new and existing tourism circuits all over the country in pursuit of sustainable tourism,” Puyat added.
NAME more reasons why tourists keep coming to the Philippines in the comments below!
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