Tourists still coming despite ‘hiccups’–Abella

Presidential spokes person Ernesto Abella. INQUIRER PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

The Philippines continues to enjoy an increase in visitor arrivals despite bouts of “hiccups,” presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said.

Abella was reacting to a World Economic Forum (WEF) report that ranked the country the 11th most dangerous for tourists.

According to the WEF’s 2017 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, security concerns remain high in the country.

It also noted diminished protection of property rights, a less effective judicial system and stricter rules on foreign direct investments, which make the environment less conducive to business.

“Contrary to the WEF report, tourism businesses are exposed to security risks. In spite of that, foreign visitors continue to increase steadily. There are just hiccups every once in a while, but they (tourists) continue to increase,” Abella said in a press briefing on Thursday.

He said that from January to March 2017, foreign visitor arrivals stood at 1.78 million, which was higher than the 1.6 million posted last year.

The increase in foreign visitors in the first quarter of the year could be attributed to the addition of 160,000 airline seats with the establishment of new direct flights that connected local secondary airports in the Philippines to China and South Korea, he said.

The new flight routes were: from Kalibo to Shanghai, Hangzhou and Zhengzhou; Cebu to Wuhan, Chongqing and Chengdu; and Clark to Incheon.

The Philippines also has tourism deals with China, Cambodia, Thailand and Turkey, he said.

“We should be looking up, you know. We don’t really focus on critics. We focus on actual work and processes. And there really is an increase, it’s quite positive,” he said.