DoT logs 1.2-M foreign tourists in first two months

The number of foreign tourists visiting the country hit more than a million as of March 2024, earning confidence for the Department of Tourism to reach 7.7 million international tourist arrivals this year.

Speaking at the Internationale Tourismus-Börse 2024 Convention in Berlin, Germany, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco reported that from January to 5 March 2024, international tourist arrivals to the Philippines have tallied 1,227,815.

Foreign nationals visiting the country took the lion’s share, with 1,160,129 or 94.49 percent.

Meanwhile, 67,686 visitors, or 5.51 percent, consist of Overseas Filipinos.

According to Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, this is 22.86 percent higher than the 999,390 arrivals received by the country in the same period in 2023.

In terms of international visitor arrivals, South Korea remains the country’s top source market for visitors with 349,956 or 28.50 percent of the total, followed by the United States of America with 195,603 or 15.93 percent, China with 85,876 (6.99 percent), Japan with 73,159 (5.96 percent), and Canada landing on the fifth spot with 50,555 (4.12 percent).

Meanwhile, Australia took the sixth spot with 50,488 (4.11 percent), Taiwan with 42,955 (3.50 percent), the United Kingdom with 30,507 (2.48 percent), Singapore with 25,253 (2.06 percent), and Germany with 20,816 (1.70 percent).

In terms of visitor receipts, the DoT said that based on data from the Visitor Sample Survey, estimated visitor receipts for January 2024 totaled $652.26 million, or 4.84 percent higher than the $622.14 million recorded in January 2023.

In 2023, the Philippines received over 5.45 million international visitor arrivals, successfully surpassing the 4.8 million arrivals target set by the industry.

“The Philippines receiving over 1.2 million international visitors: a robust indication of the future of Philippine tourism. Cheers to all the reasons to celebrate and Love the Philippines,” Frasco said.

The tourism chief is in Germany to lead the DOT and the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines in bringing the country's biggest delegation yet to the ITB 2024, the world’s largest travel trade show.

Close to 60 delegates composed of co-exhibitors from the public and private sector joined the delegation led by Secretary Frasco and TPB Philippines Chief Operating Officer (COO) Margarita Nograles, including representatives from hotel and resort enterprises, destination management companies, travel and tour agencies, government agencies such as the Philippine Retirement Authority and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, as well as the local government units of Bohol, Camiguin, Siquijor, and Sipalay, Negros Occidental.

The Philippine pavilion, designed with local elements from mother of pearl to bamboo print weaves, hosted business-to-business meetings of the participating sellers from 28 private companies and booth visitors from different regions of the world, ensuring that the presence of the Philippines is sustained for its various important international visitor source markets.

The spotlight was placed on the award-winning destinations of the Philippines and hidden gems from the islands of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, including Bohol, Siquijor, Cebu, Camiguin, and Ilocos Sur.