$2.5-B tourism revenue expected this year

Some 2.5 million foreign tourists are expected to bring in at least $2.5 billion or P137.5 billion in earnings for the tourism industry this year.

Tourism Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan said every foreign tourist usually spends $1,000 and most of them stay in the country for nine to 10 days.

"Based on our data, each tourist coming to the country spends $1,000 at the very least, and so we expect 2.5 million tourists to generate $2.5 billion for the tourism industry this year," he said.

Pagdanganan said from January to June this year, the Department of Tourism has recorded 1.18 million international arrivals, and that the figure is expected to double by year’s end.

"I believe we are going to record an all-time high (in) international arrivals this year," he said.

Pagdanganan said DOT data show that the country has posted a double-digit growth in the number of foreign tourists coming to the country since last March.

The highest number of tourist arrivals was 2.2 million in 1997, he added.

Pagdanganan said the number of international arrivals declined last year because of the scare brought about by the pneumonia-like severe acute respiratory syndrome, which dampened tourism worldwide.

The tourism industry has already recovered from the slump, he added. — Mayen Jaymalin