Tourism receipts hit US$4.9B in 2007
11 January 2008 – The Philippines' international tourism receipts reached US$4.9 billion in 2007 as the tourism industry reached a new high in visitor arrivals with 3,091,993 visitors compared to 2,843,345 in 2006.
The US$4.9 billion figure does not yet include domestic tourism receipts. Given the said amount, international tourists have contributed, in effect, about 4% of the country's GDP in 2007.
Of the country's 3 billion visitors last year, 653,310 were Koreans, the country's No.1 tourists. The Koreans cornered 21% of the total tourist arrival pie, followed by the Americans with a 19% share and the Japanese with 13%.
Tourist arrivals hit 2.2 million in January-September
5 November 2007 – The number of tourists that visited the Philippines in January to September reached 2,265,993, 8.6% better than the 2,085,783 visitors in the same period last year. This means the Department of Tourism is only 734,000 tourists shy of its 3 million target for the year.
It is estimated that 3 million visitors would bring in at least US$4 billion in revenues for the country. Korea remains the top source of tourists to the country, followed by the U.S., Japan, China, and Taiwan.
Meanwhile, the hotel occupancy rate in Metro Manila reached 72.8%, an improvement over the 69.61% a year ago.
Tourism receipts to hit US$4 billion this year
24 October 2007 – Philippine tourism receipts are expected to reach US$4 billion in 2007 due to the rise in the number of long-staying and high-spending visitors to the country, says the Department of Tourism. This is a substantial increase from last year, when tourism receipts from 2.84 million visitors were measured at US$2.7 billion (P135 billion).
Although the U.S. and the country's Asian neighbors are still the top source of tourists, the long-staying and high-spending visitors are largely Europeans. According to Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, more tourists from Russia are expected to arrive in the country because Russian visitors who will be staying 21 days or less will no longer need a visa to enter the Philippines starting this month.
Vladavia Air Company, one of Russia's largest air carriers, is now offering weekly charter flights to Manila from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Russians seeking some respite from winter weather could help boost the Philippines' chances of meeting its target of 3.1 million tourist arrivals this year.
Hotel occupancy rate hits 74.8% in January-August
9 October 2007 – The Department of Tourism reports that the hotel occupancy rate in Metro Manila reached 74.8% in January to August, up from 71.3% in the same period last year. This is a clear indication of the steadily increasing number of tourist arrivals.
The improvement in the occupancy was achieved despite the addition of six more hotels this year. However, DOT undersecretary Oscar Palabyab reiterated the need to construct 20,000 more hotel rooms to accommodate the target of 5 million tourists by 2010.
Outside Metro Manila, accommodation facilities are still lacking in such top tourist destinations as Subic, Clark, Bohol, Cebu, Boracay, Palawan, and Davao.
Low awareness, lack of flights slow down flow of Russian tourists
7 September 2007 – Although more Russians want to visit the country, the general low awareness about the Philippines in Russia and the lack of direct flights between the two countries is keeping the local tourism industry from fully exploiting the potential of the Russian market. Of the 7 million Russians who vacationed abroad in 2006, only 12,000 made their way to the Philippines, according to the Department of Tourism’s marketing representative to Russia Eduard Grigoriev.
Grigoriev said that during the long winter months, vacationing Russians look for warmer climes, like those in Southeast Asia. An average Russian stays up to 12 days abroad and loves beaches and the nightlife.
In 2006, the top destinations for Russian tourists were China, Egypt, and Turkey with 1 million Russian visitors each. About 180,000 visited Thailand, and 30,000 went to Indonesia.
Visitor arrivals, led by Americans,
up in H1
23 August 2007 – The number of foreign tourists who visited the country from January to June this year rose to 1,528,507, 7.6% higher than the 1,420,040 arrivals in the same period in 2006. The U.S. regained the honor of being the top source of tourists coming to the Philippines, dethroning Korea, which was at the top of the list for the first 5 months.
Aside from the U.S. and Korea, the other top sources of visitors were Japan, China, Hongkong, Taiwan, Australia, Singapore, Canada, and the U.K.
Relatedly, hotel occupancy rate in Metro Manila for the first semester grew 1.25% to 73.74%, compared to 72.83% a year ago.
Sen. Roxas hits new immigration order
13 August 2007 – Senator Mar Roxas is calling on the Bureau of Immigration to review its recent order extending the maximum length of stay in the country of tourists on temporary visas to 16 months. According to the bureau, the intention of the memorandum order, which took effect 31 July, is to promote tourism in the country. Sen. Roxas points out, however, that support for the tourism effort must not come at the cost of national security.
The senator believes that the extension of tourists’ temporary visas will only weaken the country’s defenses against the global threats of terrorism, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and transnational crimes. “The irony of granting foreigners unhampered, and therefore unaccountable, freedom to stay in the country for more than one year while government wields the Human Security Act is like a sword of Damocles on its people,” said the senator.
Aside from the security considerations, the new immigration policy may also prove to be harmful to Filipino enterprises. There have been many cases of foreigners setting up small businesses as perpetual tourists, who do not pay taxes and are therefore able to sell goods at prices lower than those offered by Filipino businesses.
Visitor arrivals up 8.8% in Q1
21 May 2007 – Tourist arrivals in the Philippines rose by 8.8% in the first quarter to 790,888 visitors from 726,912 in the same period last year. The hotel occupancy rate also rose slightly by 0.4% in the first three months to 76.4% from 76.1% a year ago.
The tourist influx was led by Koreans with 171,716 visitors, or 21.7% of total arrivals from January to March. The Koreans were joined by tourists from the U.S., Japan, China, Taiwan, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, Singapore, and the U.K.
Tourism earns US$2.7B in 2006
26 February 2007 – In 2006, international tourism receipts from 2.84 million visitors to the Philippines totaled US$2.7 billion or about P135.0 billion. The amount is 770% more than the P1.7 billion budget of the Department of Tourism.
According to Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, a typical tourist spends an average of US$90 a day. Last year, the country’s top visitors were Koreans, with 572,133 arrivals; followed by Americans, with 567,355; and then the Japanese, with 421,808.
The DOT is aiming to hit 3.2 million total tourist arrivals this year, 14% higher than the 2006 record.
Tourism momentum needs accelerated infrastructure development
23 February 2007 – “There is now a convergence on tourism as a development model for the country,” declared Department of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, who was guest speaker at a Makati Business Club meeting held today at the InterContinental Manila hotel. From 2.8 million tourist arrivals in 2006, the Department of Tourism expects 3.2 million foreigners to troop to the country this year. “We are sustaining our momentum,” said Durano.
As of October 2006, investors in the country’s top tourist destinations, such as Boracay, Cebu City, Mactan, and Palawan, have committed to add a total of 3,076 rooms. However, even as more hotel rooms are being built and airlines are increasing their load factor and air-seat capacity, there is still a need to “accelerate” expansion to meet the rapidly growing influx of foreign tourists. Most importantly, basic infrastructure—roads, seaports, and airports—need to be put in place or improved.
At present, the government is involved in 32 infrastructure projects in central Philippines, where the country’s tourist hotspots are concentrated. Of these projects, 1 has already been completed and 11 are on schedule, but 12 are delayed and 8 projects have been flagged.
Tourism is now recognized as a strong driver of the economy because of its spill-over effect on such other industries as the airline, domestic transportation, food, and hotel industries. Durano noted, “With only a P90 million budget in 2006, its return-on-investment was at US$2.43 billion, roughly 2% of the total GDP.”
Koreans top 2006 tourist arrivals
1 February 2007 – Koreans have displaced Americans at the top of the list of number of tourist arrivals in the Philippines in 2006. The number of Korean tourists rose 16.9% to 572,133 from 489,465 in 2005. Meanwhile, the total number of visitor arrivals in 2006 reached a new record-high of 2.84 million, up 8.4% from the 2.62 million in 2005. The 2006 figure, however, was below the Department of Tourism’s target of 3 million foreign tourists.
Koreans are attracted most to the country’s golf courses, pristine beaches, cheaper English education, and business opportunities. From only 7,000 residents in the 1980s, the number of Koreans thriving in the country soared to 70,000 as of 2005 according to the Korean Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines.
A Korean-Filipino hotel called Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa, will soon open in Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City, in Cebu. The construction of the 616-room hotel started in July 2006.
Tourism created 300,000 new jobs
in 2006
1 February 2007 – In 2006, the tourism industry generated 300,000 new jobs, raising the total number of workers employed by the industry to 3.7 million from 3.4 million in 2005, said the Department of Tourism. Employment opportunities came mostly from hotel chains and restaurants.
With the increased tourist influx to the Philippines, the number of new accommodation facilities has increased, while existing hotels are venturing into expansion, rehabilitation, and refurbishment. Since 2004, de luxe hotels have been enjoying occupancy rates of at least 70%, especially hotels in Metro Manila, Palawan, Cebu, Boracay, Bohol, and Davao.
Tourism directly benefited hotels, travel operators, and the tour-guiding business. Other industries that benefited from the tourism industry’s strong performance include the airline, transportation, and retail industries.
Lack of hotels turns away
500,000 tourists
12 January 2007 – Tourist arrivals could have reached a new record high of 3 to 3.5 million in 2006, but the lack of hotel facilities held back arrivals to only 2.6 million. As early as October, bookings had to be closed due to the shortage in accommodation facilities.
Philippine Travel Agencies Association identified Bohol, Boracay, Cebu, and Davao as tourist destinations that have limited hotel capacity. Based on Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas figures, the country loses US$800 in potential earnings per foreign visitor turned away. Japanese travelers unable to get accommodations in the Philippines headed for Guam and Hawaii instead.
Koreans top tourist arrivals
in September
9 November 2006 – Koreans have replaced Americans as the top visitors in the country. In September, the number of tourists from Korea jumped 24.5% from a year ago to 37,921 visitors, surpassing the 36,570 American visitors
For January to September, however, American tourists accounted for 20.4% of total tourist arrivals with 424,494 visitors. Korea followed with 406,480, while Japan ranked third with 326,219.
Tourist arrivals for the year up to September was up 9.4% with 2,085,783 visitors from 1,907,405 a year ago. Department of Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano is still confident that the country will hit the goal of three million visitor arrivals by yearend.
RP woos Indian tourists
9 October 2006 – After the successful campaign to attract Korean tourists to the country, the Department of Tourism is now targeting the high-end Indian tourist market. According to Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, the Indians are an ideal group to invite to Metro Manila because they prefer to stay in the city for shopping, entertainment, and gaming.
On the average, an Indian tourist spends US$90 a day, apart from airfare and hotel costs. Through active road shows and promotions, the tourism department expects 10,000 Indians to flock to the country this year, matching the expected tourist arrivals from Russia.
Impact on tourism of Guimaras
oil spill minimal
30 August 2006 – According to Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano, the oil spill in Guimaras will have a minimal impact on international visitor arrivals to the country since there are only 216 resort rooms in the said province, a very small percentage of the country’s total room capacity.
Guimaras is a destination frequented primarily by domestic tourists, rather than international visitors. Only 7 of 24 resorts in the province are affected by the oil slick.
Manila hotel occupancy up 1% in H1
29 August 2006 – The occupancy rate of Metro Manila hotels rose just 1.0% in the first semester. Occupancy in hotels classified as standard and deluxe increased by 4.3% and 0.3%, respectively. On the other hand, occupancy in first-class and economy hotels dropped 2.1% and 0.8%.
The very small increase in Metro Manila hotels’ occupancy could be because more tourists are drawn to the country’s beach destinations, such as Boracay, Cebu, Davao, and Palawan.
Tourist arrivals up 10.4% in H1
7 August 2006 – About 1,430,040 tourists visited the Philippines from January to June this year, 10.4% more than the arrivals in the first half of 2005. Americans remained the country’s top visitors with 308,799 arrivals in the period.
Aside from the U.S., most tourists came from Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Chinese nationals registered the highest growth rate of 41.0%.
Koreans are top RP visitors in January
1 March 2006 – About 58,583 Koreans trooped to the country at the start of the year, outnumbering the 53,225Americans who came to visit. Koreans accounted for 21.8% of total arrivals, while Americans composed 19.8% of the total.
Meanwhile, the Chinese are our fastest-growing tourist market, expanding at a rate of 370.5% from a year ago. Aside from Korea, the U.S., and China, most visitors to the Philippines came from Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada, Australia, Singapore and the U.K.
Tourist arrivals in January this year rose 22% to 268,818 total visitors from 220,248 a year ago.
RP launches medical
tourism campaign
12 January 2006 – In a bid to get a share of the multibillion-dollar medical tourism industry worldwide, the Department of Health, supported by the Department of Tourism, launched the Philippine Medical Tourism Program on 11 January. India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand currently dominate the industry in Asia, with a combined revenue of US$1 billion.
Medical tourism includes healthcare, travel and leisure, and wellness. In five years, the Philippines aims to become the “new hub of wellness and medical care in Asia.”
With the plan to tap private clinics and government hospitals as prime movers in the new industry, the government also hopes to eventually reverse the outward migration of medical professionals.
International tourism receipts hit P94.5B in 9 months
6 December 2005 – According to the National Statistical Coordination Board, at current prices, the 1.907 million visitors to the country from January to September have injected P94.524 billion in international tourism receipts. In the third quarter alone, approximately P29.257 billion was collected.
Department of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano expects total visitor arrivals for the year to reach 2.6 million, topping last year’s 2.3 million tourists. Meanwhile, revenue from these tourists may reach P135 billion this year, compared to P108 billion last year. Aside from the airline industry, the hotel, restaurant, transportation, and retail industries are seen to benefit from the tourist influx.
Tourist arrivals up 13.4%
12 October 2005 – Around 1.7 million tourists visited the Philippines from January to August this year, a 13.4% rise from a year ago.
Americans are still the country’s top visitors, accounting for 21% of tourist arrivals. Meanwhile, Koreans are the most aggressive tourists, posting 29.7% year-on-year growth. Aside from the U.S. and Korea, majority of tourists in the Philippines come from Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Australia, Canada, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
Tourist arrivals up 30.4%
25 August 2004 – Tourist arrivals increased 30.4% to 1.3 million in the January-July 2004 period compared to year-ago level.
Visitors from the United States continue to top the list of visitors to the country in the first seven months of the year, accounting for 21.8% of total, followed by tourists from Japan (16.3%), and Korea (15.7%).
Meanwhile, the hotel occupancy rate of accredited hotels in Metro Manila is also up 68.21% in the first half of 2004 compared to 55.78% a year ago.
Newly-appointed Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano remains optimistic that tourism growth is highly possible in the next six years for the country. Already, he has made a five million tourist arrival target by 2010, which he says will translate to more revenues for the country. “Assuming each visitor spends at least US$1,000 here, then that’s so much more than the P6 billion to P8 billion in overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) remittances that have been propping up the economy for years.”
Durano plans to create a consumer-driven type of packaging for the country’s tourist destinations. He does not believe in mass-marketing campaigns that usually fail to identify target sectors aside from spending more of the already meager government resources.
Tourist arrivals hit 1.1 million in the first semester
2 August 2004 - Tourist arrivals to the country rose 32.4% to 1,140,517 in January to June from 861,643 in the same period last year. United States nationals remain the top visitors of the country, with 252,612 arriving within the first six months, followed by visitors from Japan (184,223), Korea (179,071), Hong Kong (82,617), and Taiwan (58,447).
Meanwhile, the average occupancy rates among Metro Manila hotels also increased 12.5% in first semester compared to the same period a year ago.
The Department of Tourism has targeted 2.5 million tourist arrivals for the year, conservative when compared to 2003’s 2.8 million arrivals.
Tourist arrivals rise 24% as of April
June 8, 2004 – Despite warnings to foreign nationals against travel to the Philippines, visitor arrivals to the country rose 24.2% to 771,569 in the first four months of 2004 from 620,966 in the same period a year ago, when SARS struck the Asia-Pacific region. In April alone, some 192,203 tourists came to the country, 53.0% up from 125,576 tourists that arrived in the same month last year.
With an intensified marketing drive to lure Asian tourists, the Department of Tourism believes tourist arrivals will reach the one million mark in June, given a 2.5 million visitor target by yearend. The robust influx of visitors has also kept air fares of Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific the same despite the continuous fuel price hikes.
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