Foreign tourists keep coming to PHL despite adverse travel advisories

Travel advisories warning foreigners against crime and terrorism have not slowed down tourist arrivals, an official of the Philippines' Department of Tourism said on Friday.

DOT assistant secretary Benito Bengzon said tourist arrivals in the country reached nearly 2.5 million for the first half of the year.
 

"The recent travel warnings have not had any major impact on the flow of foreign visitor arrivals in the country," said Benito Bengzon, assistant secretary of the Tourism Department's International Tourism Promotions.

 

According to the Tourism department's research and statistics division, visitor arrivals in the Philippines reached 2,380,593 for the first half of 2013, or almost 43 percent of the target for the year. This is also an 11 percent increase from  2,143,506 arrivals the same period last year.

 

"Despite the issuance of travel advisories, foreign tourists continue to arrive in large numbers," Bengzon said.

 

The Federation of Tourism Industries in the Philippines confirms Bengzon's assessment.

 

Interim FTIP president Aileen Clemente said "all in all, we are still doing well" in achieving tourism growth.

 

She added that factors affecting tourism growth are carrying capacity of airplanes, infrastructure, even the suspension on Zest Air for failing to comply with safety standards. The suspension has since been lifted.  — ELR, GMA News