VISITOR RECEIPTS rose by 33% in the first six months of 2024, while international arrivals hit 3.17 million as of July 10, the Department of Tourism (DoT) said on Thursday.
In a statement, the DoT said tourism receipts from inbound visitors hit P282.17 billion in the January-to-June period, about 32.8% higher than P212.47 billion a year earlier.
The country welcomed 3.17 million inbound tourists as of July 10. Majority or 92.6% were foreign tourists, while the rest were overseas Filipinos.
The latest tally represents 41.2% of the department’s 7.7 million target for international visitor arrivals this year.
“This rise from last year’s figures not only showcased the growing appeal of the Philippines as a premier travel destination but also underscored the tangible benefits that tourism brings to our economy and our people,” said Tourism Secretary Maria Esperanza Christina G. Frasco.
South Korea remained the top source of foreign arrivals during the period, accounting for 26% or 824,798 of the total.
Rounding up the top five sources of inbound tourists are the United States with 522,667 (16.5%), China with 199,939 (6.3%), Japan with 188,805 (6%) and Australia with 137,391 (4.3%).
Other sources of tourists include Taiwan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Malaysia.
Citing the 2024 Economic Impact Research of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the DoT said 2024 is forecast to be a “record-breaking” year for the Philippines in terms of the tourism industry’s economic contribution, employment, and visitor spending.
In its report, WTTC projected the travel and tourism sectors’ contribution to the national economy to reach P5.4 trillion this year.
This will be a 25% increase from last year and will surpass the pre-pandemic level in 2019 by 7.1%, the DoT said.
Philippine Statistics Authority data showed the tourism industry’s direct gross value added, which measures the value generated from various tourism-related activities, stood at P2.09 trillion in 2023, accounting for 8.6% of gross domestic product.
Meanwhile, the WTTC pegged international and domestic visitor spending at P715.6 billion and P3.7 trillion, respectively, this year. This will exceed 2019 levels by 5.7% and 1.8%, respectively.
In 2023, tourism-related spending by nonresidents was P697.46 billion, while domestic visitor spending was P2.67 trillion.
“In the second half of the year, we anticipate these numbers to increase, not only the revenue generated but most importantly, the number of Filipinos employed in tourism-related industries,” Ms. Frasco said.
At the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) Con 2024 held at the SMX Convention Center in Clark, she said the tourism industry employed over 6.21 million Filipinos last year, representing a 6.4% growth from 2022.
Citing WTTC, the DoT said the travel and tourism industry is projected to account for 9.5 million jobs, or 20% of the national workforce, this year.
Meanwhile, Ms. Frasco said the development of the MICE sector is crucial to generating employment opportunities and livelihoods for Filipinos.
“One of our strategic goals is to diversify our tourism portfolio by investing in high-value tourism products, services and experiences such as MICE and other special events in tourism,” she said.
She said MICE tourism is a big opportunity because delegates spend an average of over $573 per day, about five times more than the average leisure tourist.
“By positioning the Philippines as a premier MICE destination in Asia, we foster economic growth and provide invaluable opportunities for expansion,” she added.
However, she said the country still faces challenges in positioning itself as a MICE powerhouse.
“That is why we have worked in collaboration with our fellow government agencies in order to ensure that we improve accessibility and connectivity, as well as opportunities for our communities to benefit from our thriving tourism sector,” she said. — Justine Irish D. Tabile
