International tourist arrivals up 6% in first 4 months

MANILA, Philippines — Arrivals from January to April exceeded the growth target for the year as it registered a six-percent rise, driven by the Asia-Pacific region.

In a report, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said the six-percent growth rate is higher than the four-percent to five-percent growth forecast for this year.

“However, the first four months of the year are low season in many countries and therefore not necessarily indicative of the full-year trend,” the UNWTO said.

It added that the growth was a reflection of the strong trend seen in 2017, with full-year arrivals growing by seven percent.

Asia-Pacific led the growth in the January-April period with an eight-percent increase in international arrivals, with Southeast Asia posting a 10-percent rise and South Asia recording a nine-percent increment.

This was followed by Europe, which posted a seven-percent growth, which was led by destinations in Southern and Mediterranean Europe and Western Europe, which both grew by eight-percent.

Growth in the Americas is estimated at three percent, with the strongest results in South America, at eight percent.

Similarly, Africa posted a six-percent rise in arrivals in the first four months of the year, led by Subsaharan Africa (six percent) and North Africa (four percent).

In contrast, the Caribbean saw a nine-percent decline in the period, which reflected the mixed performance of the region, as some destinations are still recovering from the impact of last year’s hurricanes.

The UNWTO said the January-April period represents some 28 percent of the yearly total arrivals and includes the winter sports season in the Northern Hemisphere, the summer season in the Southern Hemisphere, the Chinese New Year and the Eastern holiday, among others.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) earlier reported that the Philippines posted a 12.35-percent rise in international arrivals in the first four months of the year to 2.64 million tourists, higher than the 2.35 million in the same period last year.

For this year, the country is targeting foreign arrivals of 7.4 million under the National Tourism Development Plan.