In a new move to revitalize its tourism sector, the Philippines Department of Tourism (DOT) has set an ambitious target of 7.7 million international visitors for the year 2024. The goal is just shy of its pre-pandemic count of 8.2 million. Tourism Secretary, Christina Frasco, expressed the unwavering commitment to the transformation of Philippine tourism, guided by the National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028.
The announcement comes after a successful 2023, where the country welcomed 5,450,557 international visitors, surpassing the initial target of 4.8 million set by DOT. 91.80% of these visitors were foreigners, while 447,082 were overseas Filipinos returning to their homeland.
Notably, the Philippines experienced an economic boost, generating an estimated 482.54 billion PHP in international tourism revenue in 2023. The number is more than doubling the income recorded in 2022.
Frasco pointed out that the impressive number of visitors in 2023 indicate a faster-than-expected recovery of the tourism industry, with a 124.87% increase compared to 2022.
Local tour operators have reported a 30% increase in bookings to popular destinations such as: Boracay, Siargao, Coron, Davao and Cebu. This indicating a strong rebound in domestic tourism. The increase is attributed to the effectiveness of aggressive promotional campaigns to re-establish the Philippines as a premier travel destination.
Source: ttrweekly.com
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