DOT still sees 10M tourists by 2016 despite Taiwan issue

The Department of Tourism (DOT) remains confident that the Philippines will meet its target of 10 million tourist arrivals target in 2016 despite a strain in the relations between Taiwan and the Philippines, a top department official said Monday.

"We have been seeing a sustainable increase in arrivals since last year. This building enthusiasm for the Philippines, aided by our government’s good governance agenda, gives us the confidence to achieve our target of 10 million tourist arrivals by 2016," Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said.

Taiwan imposed sanctions on the Philippines after an incident between a Taiwanese fishing vessel and the Philippine Coast Guard last month that resulted in the death of a Taiwanese fisherman.

In a statement, Jimenez said that foreign visitor arrivals in the first four months of 2013 reached 1,649,458 million, up 10.12 percent increase from the same period last year.

According to the department, the first four months of the year accounts for 30 percent of the target arrivals for 2013, with January bringing in the highest number of visitors at 436,079 visitors and February generating the biggest growth of 15.52 percent.

South Korea was the biggest source of foreign travelers to the Philippines, with 406,595 visitors or 24.65 percent of the total inbound traffic. The volume is also a 23.08-percent improvement year-on-year of South Korean visitors to the country.

The U.S is in second place with 246,011 or 14.91 percent of the total, followed by Japan (148,950 or 9.03 percent), China (132,307 or 8.02 percent), and  Australia (72,015 or 4.37 percent, and up 12.06 percent from last year).  

Taiwan is in sixth place with 68,654 visitors, reflecting an 8.3-percent decline year-on-year.

Taiwan is followed by Singapore (up 15.90 percent to 55,096), Canada (up 4.25 percent to 50,352), Hong Kong (up 12.87 percent to 45,734); United Kingdom (up 3.1 percent to 43,055), Malaysia (up 8.36 percent to 35,069), and Germany (up 9.16 percent to 28,799).

Other source markets with double-digit gains include Russia (30.33 percent), India (23.13 percent), and France (20.10 percent).

Jimenez said that while the summer season may largely account for the upsurge, “it is also a clear indication that the nation has galvanized its reputation as an attractive destination.” — BM, GMA News