PHL tourist arrivals up despite travel advisories

Tourist arrivals in the Philippines have increased by 17 percent during the first 10 months of 2010 compared to the same period last year, a welcome development as the country contests the travel advisories issued by six nations on it due to possible terror attacks.

According to figures from the Bureau of Immigration (BI), a total of 2,562,505 foreigners had visited the Philippines as of November 8, 2010, which was relatively higher compared to 2,190,114 who arrived in 2009. It seems the spate of negative travel advisories issued by six separate governments — Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States — have not put a dent in tourist arrivals, said Immigration Officer-in-Charge Ronaldo Ledesma. Four out of the six countries are in the top ten of the list of foreign nationals who visited the country this year: Australia, Canada, Britain, and the US. The advisories were issued in October, but tourist arrivals that month stood at 239,465, even higher than the 220,572 registered visitors for September, Ledesma pointed out. “This is a positive sign that despite the negative travel advisories, we are succeeding in our efforts to promote the Philippines as a prime tourist and investment destination," he said. Curiously, the highest number of foreign visitors to the Philippines from January to October 2010 came from the US, with 679,406 recorded American tourists. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had already sent notes verbale to the foreign embassies that issued travel advisories to explain why their respective governments did so. The other countries in the list of top tourist arrivals to the Philippines are: · Korea (525,564); · Japan (331,156). · China, (229,989); · Australia, (140,238); · Canada, (116,175); · Britain (113,041); · Taiwan (99,465); · Malaysia (70,107); · Singapore (66,336). Ledesma said the BI would continue to pursue programs to make it easier for foreign tourists and businessmen to enter and do business in the country. He also underscored the bureau’s important role in the government’s tourism efforts, since immigration officers are usually the first Filipinos that foreigners encounter upon entering the country. “We will continue to train our immigration officers so they will become true models of our vaunted Filipino traits of hospitality, courtesy and friendliness," Ledesma said. The country is on track to hit its target of at least three million visitors in 2010, Ledesma added, noting that tourist arrivals have traditionally increased during the last two months of the year, when it is winter in the northern hemisphere and Europeans visit tropical countries for a warmer climate. - Larissa Mae Suarez/KBK, GMANews.TV