The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) reported an additional potential revenue of P31.6 million from Japanese visitors after its Japan Mega Familiarization Tour.

A total of 98 Filipino businesses and 76 Japanese travel agencies took part in tour batches held from 24 to 27 October in Cebu, Bohol, Iloilo, Boracay, Palawan and Davao.

The TPB said the tour generated 2,459 business exchanges after tourism officials updated the Japanese on the Philippine travel policies and flight expansions and visits to hotel destinations and other attractions.

Top destination

“Japanese travel agents can envision our country as a top destination and promote us to their clients with newfound enthusiasm through the meaningful experiences offered during the tour,” TPB chief operating officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles said.

Japanese tourists on the rise said the Japan Mega Familiarization Tour was conducted as Japanese tourists were rising toward the Philippines’ third largest international visitors, with 293,658 arrivals from January to October this year.

For the full year of 2019, Japanese tourists ranked fourth, with 682,788 arrivals.

“The tour aimed to incite the creation of new travel packages by introducing trend-based offerings from the preferred destinations of the Japanese market, alongside newly launched direct flights which highlight ease and enhanced accessibility for all tourists,” TPB said in a statement.

Global market analysts Fitch Ratings said the global tourism industry could see substantial growth in foreign tourists in the first half of 2025 as several risks, including slow restoration of international air traffic, elevated airfares and energy prices, and heightened geopolitical tensions, still linger.