More tourists visiting C. Visayas

TOURISM traffic in the region continues to increase as it registers a 14.78 percent growth for the first half this year.

Central Visayas has already surpassed half of its target of getting 2.6 million tourists this year, Department of Tourism Regional Director Rowena Montecillo said.

“As of June, Central Visayas already had 1.7 million tourists which is 14.78 percent higher than the number of tourists we had in the same period last year. In June 2012, we only had 1.49 million tourists,” Montecillo said.

Domestic travelers make up 60 percent of the total tourist arrivals with 1.05 million domestic travelers visiting different destinations in the region.

Top Visitors

South Koreans remain the largest foreign tourist group that the region had as of June with 257,998. Korean visitors grew by 27.8 percent.

Japanese visitors followed with 98,851 tourists or a 9.07 percent growth from only 90,629 in the same period last year. They are followed by Americans with 58,207 visitors.

The fourth largest group China, however declined by 24.58 percent with only 29,183 Chinese tourists as of June this year compared to 38,692 last year.

Taiwan, on the other hand, registered the biggest growth rate of 82.49 percent this year with 25,539 from only 13,995 last year.

Montecillo said that they are currently busy preparing for two upcoming major events—the World Ecotourism Forum this November and the hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit that will start in December next year.

Ecotourism forum

“The most urgent is the 5th World Ecotourism Forum that Cebu will be hosting this November. We consider this a key event because Cebu will be put in the map for ecotourism which is the trend now,” Montecillo said.

At least 400 delegates from 150 member countries and 400 affiliate organizations of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) are expected to come to Cebu for the event, she said.