MANILA, Philippines — More than eight million foreign tourists visited the country last year, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT), breaking not only the agency’s own record but also exceeding the annual target under the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP).
In a report on Monday, the DOT recorded a total of 8.26 million international visitors from January to December 2019, up by 15.24 percent from 2018’s 7.16 million.
The figure surpassed the 8.2-million target for international tourist arrivals under the NTDP for 2019.
“This heralds a new milestone in the country’s tourism history, breaching the eight millionth mark,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said in a statement.
Korea, China still top
Since 2010, South Korea has remained the country’s top source market with 1.98 million arrivals, growing 22.48 percent from last year’s slump.
China followed with 1.74 million, becoming the fastest-growing among the markets at 38.58 percent.