HOLIDAY VISITORS Arriving passengers queue at the immigration counters of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in this August 2018 file photo. —INQUIRER PHOTO
The holidays have contributed further gains for the Philippine tourism industry as it breached its 1.7 million target by year-end with 2.65 million international visitor arrivals.
According to the Department of Tourism (DOT), this translates to P208.96 billion or $3.68 billion in tourism revenues.
The new record has nearly 1 million additional visitors entering the country than the year-end target, it added.
“This was based on the monitoring conducted by the DOT from the time the country has reopened its borders for all types of travelers in February until Dec. 31, 2022, where Filipinos abroad were expected to flock back to the country for the annual Christmas and New Year celebrations as well as visits from foreign tourists who chose the Philippines as their holiday destination,” the DOT said in a statement.
The DOT data showed that of the total 2.65 million international visitor arrivals last year, 628,445 were returning Filipinos.
On the other hand, the bulk of 2.02 million tourists were foreigners from the country’s top tourist markets, such as the United States (505,089), South Korea (428,014), Australia (137,974), Canada (121,413), the United Kingdom (101,034), Japan (99,557), Singapore (53,448), India (51,542), Malaysia (46,805), and China (39,627).
According to the DOT, the previous year has generated an estimated 5.23 million tourism-related jobs. There were also 11,989 DOT-accredited tourism enterprises as of Dec. 29, 2022.
4.8-M target in 2023
A total of 25,770 tourism stakeholders have also been trained, it added.
“[M]oments of great difficulty are also moments of great opportunity. In the past, we have overcome a global pandemic, survived various calamities and thrived through a host of many other challenges, yet, the Philippine tourism industry has managed to exceed expectations and our tourism partners and front-liners continue to offer the best of Filipino grace and hospitality to the world,” said Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco in a statement.
Earlier, she said that the DOT is targeting 4.8 million international visitors in 2023 as its baseline, but that she remains hopeful that it will again surpass its targets just like in 2022.
Economic resurgence
“We look forward to the continued convergence and collaboration of our tourism stakeholders—travelers, tourism players, national agencies, local governments and host communities—in propelling our industry to the heights of becoming a tourism powerhouse in Asia,” the tourism chief said.
She noted the government’s vision for the country’s tourism industry is for it to be a catalyst for the Philippines’ economic resurgence not only in terms of job opportunities but investments as well.
“Therefore, we welcome 2023 with gratitude and excitement for Philippine tourism to bounce back stronger than ever. We shall welcome with warmth and that distinct Filipino smile visitors from all over the world as they visit our award-winning beaches, experience the richness of our culture and enjoy our world-renowned Filipino brand of service excellence,” added Frasco. INQ
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