Tourist arrivals in the Phl hit record high in Jan-Feb

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Tourist arrivals in the Philippines hit a record high of 854,187 in the first two months of the year, mostly due to the Lunar New Year holidays that encouraged more travelers from China's mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong to visit the country.

The tourism department reported today that the figure in January-February is 10.5 percent higher than last year's. This is also the third consecutive month that tourist arrivals surpassed the 400,000 mark. There were 442,088 arrivals in December 2012, 436,079 in January and 418,108 in February.

"Our tourism numbers are now reaching unprecedented heights. We have a target of 5.5 million this year and 10 million by 2016. Our efforts are in full swing to raise greater demand, facilitate entry and access to the different destinations, and for our suppliers and host communities to come together and create fun- filled experiences," Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said in a statement.

The Lunar New Year boosted tourist arrivals,with those from Hong Kong alone increasing by 93.80 percent year-on-year. This was followed by China's mainland, registering 69.87 percent annual growth, Macau at 44.05 percent and China's Taiwan at 20.67 percent. Arrivals from other Southeast Asian countries likewise posted double digit growth.

In terms of actual passenger volume, about a quarter of the total number of visitors in the first two months of the year came from South Korea, or 241,116 people. Travelers from the United States reached 120,868, while those from Japan 73,621.

The list is followed by China with 69,610; China's Taiwan with 37,921; Australia with 34,095; Singapore with 25,800; Canada with 25,338; Hong Kong with 23,097; Malaysia with 18,947; United Kingdom with 18,563; and Germany with 13,774.