International visitor arrivals reached 1.227 million as of March 5, 2024, up by 22.86 percent from 999,390 registered in the same period in 2023.
“I would like to express my profound gratitude first to all our Philippine sellers who continue to champion Philippine tourism. [The growth] was a robust indication of the future of Philippine tourism,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco told Filipino exhibitors at the Philippine Pavilion during the Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) 2024 convention in Berlin, Germany.
Industry data showed that foreign tourists comprised the majority of arrivals, accounting for 1.16 million or 94.49 percent of the total, while 67,686 overseas Filipinos (OFs) filled the remaining 5.51 percent.
South Korea remained the top source market for visitors, contributing 349,956 or 28.50 percent of the total. The United States followed with 195,603 or 15.93 percent, China with 85,876 or 6.99 percent, Japan with 73,159 or 5.96 percent and Canada with 50,555 or 4.12 percent.
Rounding up the top ten markets were Australia at 4.11 percent, Taiwan at 3.5 percent, the UK at 2.48 percent, Singapore at 2.06 percent and 1.7 percent from Germany.
The Philippines has a baseline target of 7.7 million arrivals for 2024.
The DOT also reported an increase in estimated visitor receipts. Based on the Visitor Sample Survey, January visitor receipts reached $652.26 million, 4.84 percent higher than $622.14 million in January 2023.
Frasco is leading the DOT and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines in showcasing the country at ITB 2024, the world’s largest travel trade show.
The delegation includes nearly 60 representatives from the public and private sectors, including hotels, resorts, destination management companies, travel agencies and government entities.
Frasco underscored the country’s goal to “give the best foot forward for the Philippines” and establish itself as Asia’s next tourism powerhouse, fulfilling a mandate from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“This is a coming together of the entire nation to rally for the Philippines. We will showcase our world-renowned destinations, our emerging and key destinations, and remind the world that the Filipino story has yet to be told,” she said.
She noted the importance of tourism in generating employment opportunities and expressed gratitude to stakeholders for their contributions.