DOT reports 5.37% tourist growth

MANILA, Philippines - Close to four million tourists visited various tourism destinations nationwide in the first five months of 2010, the Department of Tourism (DOT) reported.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said that from January to May, the country’s major destinations recorded a total of 3.65 million visitors or a 5.37 percent growth from the same period last year.

“The movement of foreign tourists in key tourist areas expanded by 12.81 percent compared to the travel of domestic tourists which posted 2.12 percent increase,” Durano said.

Based on DOT data, Durano said, Metro Manila posted the biggest number of tourists — 848,518 — most of them coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

The number of tourists in Cebu, on the other hand, reached 734,531, thus making the Queen City of South the second favorite destination among foreign and local travelers.

Cebu visitors accounted for 20 percent share of the total tourist volume during the five-month period. Korea and Japan were the leading source markets for Cebu with a share of 30 percent and 21 percent, respectively.

The DOT further reported that visitors to Boracay Island from January to May 2010 increased by 12.15 percent with foreign visitors staying in hotels and resorts growing faster at 26 percent than domestic tourists, whose number increased by six percent.

Among destinations in the central Philippines, Cebu accounted for 46 percent share of total rooms available at 18,009, followed by Boracay with 6,984 rooms for 18 percent share, and Palawan with 4,140 rooms for 10 percent share.

In terms of employment, Durano said Cebu has the most number of regular personnel at 11,400, while Metro Manila has the biggest count of seasonal employees at 4,931.

By the end of 2010, 80 new accommodation facilities are expected, increasing the available number of rooms in select destinations by 3,743.

“The DOT has laid down the foundations for sustained growth in tourist arrivals and investments in select destinations over the past years, creating opportunities for increased local employment and harnessing the entrepreneurial capabilities of local government units and the private sector to venture into and create new tourism products and services,” Durano said.