Foreign tourist arrivals post flat growth in February

MANILA, Philippines - Foreign tourist arrivals posted a flat growth for the month of February 2014, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).

DOT data showed that international arrivals recorded a measly 1.08 percent growth with 422,631 arrivals in February 2014 as against 418,108 arrivals in February 2013.

The February 2014 foreign tourist arrival was lower than the registered growth of six percent in January 2014 which reached 461,383 arrivals from 422,631 arrivals in January 2013.

In February 2014, there were noted decreases in the number of foreign tourists visiting the Philippines from East Asia, South Asia, Middle East, and South America with a decline of 5.51 percent, 5.18 percent, 4.03 percent and 11.63 percent, respectively.

Even Korea, the biggest contributor to Philippine foreign tourist arrivals, posted a drop of 3.39 percent. Arrivals from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau likewise went down 44.06 percent, 35.26 percent and 12.04 percent, respectively.

For the first two months of 2014, the DOT, however, noted that the number of foreign tourists visiting the Philippines still posted a modest growth of 3.49 percent to 884,014 from 854,187.

For the January to February 2014 period, arrivals from Korea dropped 8.41 percent. Koreans, however, remained the top tourism market of the Philippines with 24.98 percent share.

Other top markets during the two-month period with their corresponding share were: USA (14.93 percent); China (11.2 percent); Japan (8.53 percent); Australia (4.3 percent); Canada (3.22 percent); Singapore (3.12 percent); Taiwan (2.78 percent); United Kingdom (2.64 percent); Hong Kong (2.39 percent); Malaysia (2.23 percent) and Germany (1.74 percent).

USA supplied the 2nd largest influx of tourists with 131,978 visitors or a growth of 9.19 percent.  The Chinese market, with a total 99,017 managed a growth of 42.25%, a significant boost to the industry with the observance of the Chinese New Year.

Japan ranked 4th biggest, with 75,383 visitors or a growth of 2.39 percent.

The 5th major inbound market to the Philippines was Australia, providing 38,009 arrivals.  This market recorded an encouraging 11.48 percent growth in arrivals vis-à-vis 34,095 arrivals from the same period last year.

Other emerging markets with substantial growth in inbound traffic were Italy (18.76 percent) with 4,204 arrivals, Vietnam (16.87 percent) with 5,168 arrivals, Switzerland (13.32 percent) with 5,148 arrivals, Indonesia (12.32 percent) with 7,879 arrivals, and Germany (11.77 percent) with 15,395 arrivals.

Philippine passport holders permanently residing abroad (excluding overseas Filipino workers) reported 27,203 arrivals, 3.43 percent less than its total last year.

The DOT noted that the 3.49 percent January to February 2014 international arrivals level was the slowest growth, so far, for the past five years.

Foreign arrivals for the period January to February 2013 reached 10.50 percent, 15.61 percent in 2012, 17.88 percent in 2011 and 8.83 percent in 2010.