DOT eyes exceeding projected 1.7M tourist arrivals by end of 2022

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco on Friday said the government is targeting to exceed the projected number of tourist arrivals of 1.7 million by the end of 2022.

In a press conference in the US, Frasco said there are 1.5 million tourist arrivals so far.

“The good news is that we now have over 1.5 million arrivals into the Philippines as of our latest data. And therefore, we’re looking to exceed the projections of 1.7 million by the end of the year,” she said.

Frasco added that the DOT has collaborated with the Department of Transportation to improve the efficiencies and the aesthetics of the airports.

“We have identified three key benchmark areas where we’ll be doing this in the immediate. First is NAIA Terminal 2, second is Cebu City Pier 1 to also address seaports, and third is the Davao International Airport,” she said.

According to her, a technical working group will study issues in airports.

In June, the DOT said the Philippines reported a decline in foreign visitor arrivals last year due to the closure of the country’s borders amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The country recorded a total of 163,879 visitors from January to December 2021, a decline of 88.95% from the 2020 arrivals of 1,482,535.—Joviland Rita/AOL, GMA News