THE number of incoming foreign travelers for the New Year (January 1) festivity increased by almost 100 percent compared to last year even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Immigration said yesterday.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said that on December 31 last year and on January 1 this year, the number of arriving passengers increased to 10,140 from only 5,791 for the same days in 2020 and 2021.
On the other hand, the number of departing passengers for the same days increased from last year’s 3,770 to 6,951.
“The trend showed a steady improvement in the number of travelers. While the figures remain low, this is a significant improvement from last year,” Morente said.
The number of international travelers during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day also doubled from last year, though Morente has yet to provide the exact figures.
The BI chief said they are hoping “to see better numbers this year” even as the national government placed Metro Manila under Alert Level 3 to control the recent spike in COVID-19 cases.
