The Department of Tourism (DOT) reported tourist arrivals as of September 28 hit 3.99 million, representing 84 percent of the agency’s target of 4.8 million this year.
DOT Secretary Christina Frasco told the Tourism Pride Summit at the Makati Shangri-la yesterday, as of August, the estimated revenue from foreign tourist expenditures has reached P316.9 billion.
Data from the DOT showed foreign tourists accounted for 3.65 million of total arrivals led by visitors from South Korea, which numbered 1.04 million to date or 26 percent of total arrivals.
Visitors from the United States were next with 674,209 (26 percent) followed by Japan, 219,855 (17 percent); China, 192,312 (4.82 percent) and Australia, 185,653 (4.65 percent)
Rounding up the top 10 are visitors from Canada, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Singapore and Malaysia.
“We are optimistic of t meeting the target of 4.8 million if not exceeding it by the end of the year,” Frasco said.
She said the liberalization of policies that would ensure the growth of tourism had resulted to a very strong rebound of the industry in 2022, having contributed over 6.2 percent of the country’s GDP.
Frasco said last year, tourism employed 5.35 million a 93 percent recovery from 2019 numbers.
