PH tourist arrivals up 9%: DOT

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By Katlene O. Cacho

Sunday, October 28, 2012

VISITOR arrivals in the Philippines increased by 9.08 percent or 3.1 million tourists in the first nine months of the year, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).

In Central Visayas, most tourism markets also posted increases.

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DOT said top travel markets of the Philippines during the period posted growth rates. Taiwan posted the highest growth rate among top five markets at 25.39 percent.

The number of tourists from Korea during January to September increased by 9.61 percent to 752,918. DOT records showed the Korean market makes up 23.90 percent of the country’s total visitor volume for the period.

A total of 485,484 tourists from the United States of America also visited the country in the first nine months of the year, posting a growth of 4.01 percent over last year’s record of 466,767 arrivals.

Japanese tourists, on the other hand, increased by 8.52 percent or 311,008. Visitors from China posted a double-digit growth of 14.5 percent to 196,926 arrivals during the period from 171,981 a year ago.

Arrivals from Taiwan also grew by 25.39 percent from 136,713 arrivals recorded last year to 171,420 arrivals in the first nine months of the year.

Other markets with substantial contribution include Australia with 132,157 arrivals; Singapore with 106,981; Hong Kong with 88,393; Canada with 87,386; and the United Kingdom with 81,436 arrivals.

Tourists from Russia registered a 41.53 percent increase from 12,638 tourists in 2011.

High growth rates were also recorded by France at 14.46 percent increase to 24,848 arrivals and Germany with 10.53 percent increase to 48,351 arrivals.

The records showed that majority of the top travel markets in Central Visayas from January to July this year also posted increases, except for Canada.

Latest statistics released by the DOT 7 showed that arrivals from Canada dropped 5.71 percent to 9,965 arrivals in the first seven months this year compared to 10,569 arrivals recorded in the same period in 2011.

Taiwan, meanwhile, posted the highest growth at 63.26 percent from 11,306 arrivals last year to 18,458 from January to July.

The Korean market is still Cebu’s top travel market, accounting for 42.41 percent share of tourism volume. It grew by 12.84 percent or 247,990 arrivals for the period.

This was followed by Japan which grew by 17.60 percent from 89,654 arrivals in 2011 to 105,430 arrivals this year.

USA came third, with arrivals of 64,631, up by 13.64 percent over last year’s record.

Arrivals from China on the other hand, doubled from 26,504 in 2011 to 40,619 in the first seven months of the year. Australian tourists grew by 19.74 percent or 20,464.

Other top travel markets of Central Visayas were Germany, which grew by 5.43 percent to 15,424 arrivals; United Kingdom at 1.31 percent to 12,402 arrivals; and France at 10,292 arrivals, up by 12.70 percent over last year’s records.

The DOT 7 said they are expecting more foreign tourists to come to Central Visayas, particularly in Cebu, as the holidays near. City and resort hotels are also gearing up for the influx of foreign tourists and balikbayans who will likely spend Christmas and New Year here and stay until Sinulog in January. 

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Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 29, 2012.

CV is second fastest growing region in Phl

By Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento (The Freeman)  CEBU, Philippines - Central Visayas ranked second to Caraga Administrative Region as both had been included in the top five list of fastest growing regions in the Philippines for year 2011 based on the recent statistical data of the National Statistical Coordination Board. In a press statement posted on the agency’s website last July 26, Region 7 posted a 7.9% growth among the country’s seventeen regions following Caraga’s economy that recorded the fastest growth at 9.6 percent last year. “This is a very good development for Central Visayas. Our Gross Regional Domestic Product level has reached P620 billion at current prices, the fourth biggest after National Capital Region, CALABARZON and Central Luzon,” National Economic Development Authority Assistant Regional Director Efren Carreon told The Freeman. Aside from Region XIII and Region VII, other areas which were included in the 2011 list of top five fastest growing were Central Luzon with 7.5%, Western Visayas with 5.5% and Cagayan Valley with 5.4%. The economy of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), however, declined by 1% in 2011 from a 2.3% growth in 2010. On the other hand, the national statistical agency cited that the economies of the three island groups reported slower growths last year from their strong performances in 2010. “Luzon’s economy (excluding NCR) slowed down to 3.9% in 2011 from a robust performance of 8.9% in 2010; Visayas decelerated to 5.9% from 7.3% and Mindanao’s economy turned in a lackluster performance of 3.2% from 4.7%,” NSCB stated. With the same share compared to the previous year, Luzon island with seven regions excluding NCR contributed 37.5% of the country’s total domestic output that is considered to be the largest among the island groups. Mindanao island which is comprised of six regions accounted for 14.1% of the country’s economy and Visayas island group, composed of three regions, posted a share of 12.8% in 2011 which is 0.3 percentage point higher than its 12.5% share in 2010. In terms of the 3.9% national GDP growth in 2011, NCR also contributed at 1.3 percentage points considered as the largest, Central Luzon with 0.7 percentage point and Central Visayas and CALABARZON which contributed 0.5 percentage point each. NSCB was created under Executive Order No. 121 issued on January 30, 1987 as the policy-making and coordinating agency on statistical matters in the Philippines. It further aims to develop an orderly Philippine Statistical System capable of providing time, accurate, relevant, and useful data for the government and the public for planning and decision-making. When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City for only P12,000.00/month with its own parking lot. Hurry while the supply of units last.  Just call the Tel. Nos. shown below. Tel. Nos. (032)555-8464/09164422611/09173378637