Foreign tourist arrivals reach 2 M in May

MANILA, Philippines - Foreign tourist arrivals reached a record of over 2 million in the first five months of the year, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez reported yesterday.

Jimenez said from January to May, the arrival of foreign visitors went up to 2.011 million or a 10.54 percent increase from the same period last year.

“It is noteworthy to highlight that this is the first time in Philippine history that we reached the 2 million mark in the first five months of the year,” the Department of Tourism (DOT) chief said.

For the month of May alone, he noted that arrivals rose by 12.47 percent to 362,062 from 321,920 in the same month in 2012.

The latest tourist arrivals further boosted the DOT’s confidence that it will meet its target of 10 million tourist arrivals by 2016.

“We have been seeing a sustainable increase in arrivals since last year. This building enthusiasm for the Philippines, aided by our government’s good governance agenda, gives us the confidence to achieve our target of 10 million tourist arrivals by 2016,” Jimenez earlier said.

For the first four months of 2013, foreign arrivals reached 1,649,458 million or a 10.12 percent increase from the same period in 2012.

“This growth is an affirmation of our various marketing and destination development activities, strengthened by partnerships with the various stakeholders,” he said.

He added that while the upsurge may primarily be attributed to the summer season, it is also a clear indication that the nation has galvanized its reputation as an attractive tourist destination.

“Central to this, we are reaching out to industry, government, and civil society to continue investing in sustainable projects and partnerships to secure our continued growth,” Jimenez said.

As this developed, Jimenez lauded proponents of the 8th Ambassadors, Consuls General and Tourism Directors’ Tour (ACGTDT).

“We count on you to help us spread the Philippine brand of fun to more people around the world. With that, we hope for a successful tour and may your travel experience be positive, memorable and more fun,” he said.

Thirteen Philippine ambassadors and consuls from the US and Canada led by Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia would join the ACGTDT this year, in addition to some 479 other delegates.