By Brian Jules Campued
The Department of Tourism (DOT) recorded a 32.81% increase in the country’s visitor receipts as it hit over P282 billion in revenue in the first half of 2024.
According to its monitoring report, tourism earnings from inbound visitors are registered at P282.17 billion from January 1 to June 30 compared with the P212.47 billion revenue from the same period last year.
Tourism Sec. Christina Frasco attributed this “significant increase” to the relentless efforts of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in revitalizing the Philippines’ tourism sector.
“This 32.81 percent rise from last year’s figures not only showcases the growing appeal of the Philippines as a premier travel destination but also underscores the tangible benefits that tourism brings to our economy and our people,” Frasco said in a statement.
“The income generated through tourism directly translates to more opportunities and improved livelihoods for Filipinos, reinforcing the critical role this industry plays in our nation’s progress,” she added.
As of July 10, a total of 3,173,694 tourists visited the Philippines—of which 92.55% or about 2,937,293 are foreigners, while the remaining 236,401 are overseas Filipinos.
Among the country’s top visitors are: South Korea with around 824,798 tourists, followed by the United States (522,667), China (199,939), Japan (188,805), and Australia (137,391).
Taiwan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Malaysia placed sixth to tenth, respectively.
Frasco expects the current figures to increase, including the number of Filipinos employed in tourism-related industries, citing the forecast of the 2024 Economic Impact Research of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) that the country will have a “record-breaking” year for the tourism and travel industry.
The Tourism chief also noted that the tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy is expected to reach a 25% year-on-year growth or up to P5.4 trillion this year—7.1% higher than the pre-pandemic record back in 2019.
Employment in tourism is also seen to surpass 9.5 million jobs, contributing to 20% of the national workforce.
Both international and domestic visitor spending are also set to “break records” in 2024, with P715.6 billion and P3.7 trillion in earnings, respectively.
The WTTC underscored that this growth is a “testament to the government’s efforts in enhancing tourism infrastructure, with efforts underway to upgrade regional airports to alleviate congestion at Manila’s main airport and make travel more accessible.”
According to Frasco, more projects will be accomplished to improve connectivity and visitors’ convenience in order to “sustain the good work” the government has started. – iro
