Tourist arrivals up in Central Visayas

CEBU CITY, Philippines - Central Visayas, which is being promoted as the tourism hub of the country, posted a 10.17-percent growth rate in visitor arrivals for the first quarter this year over the same period in 2007.

The region recorded 535,396 visitors from January to March this year compared to 485,993 visitors in the same period in 2007, reflecting an increase of 49,403 tourists.

These figures were taken from the Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 whose sources of data are accommodation establishments such as hotels, inns, pension houses, resorts and beach resorts.

At the national level, DOT Central Office reported 858,244 arrivals in the country in the first quarter, up by 8.5 percent over the previous year’s total 790,888 arrivals for the same months in 2007. However, the sources of the national data were based on all entry points in the country, such as airports and seaport.

Of the four provinces in Central Visayas, Cebu posted the highest number of domestic and foreign visitors in the first quarter with 410,597 tourists, followed by Bohol with 65,617 visitors.

The provinces of Oriental Negros and Siquijor have 53,641 and 5,541 visitors, respectively.

Cebu has 226,753 domestic visitors or 71.12 percent share of domestic arrivals in the region. Bohol has a 14.16 percent
share or 45,152 domestic visitors. Oriental Negros and Siquijor have 13.78 percent and 0.94 percent, respectively.

Cebu Province also has 183,844 foreign visitors or 84.89 percent share of foreign arrivals, followed by Bohol with 20,465 foreign visitors or 9.45 percent share. Meanwhile, Oriental Negros and Siguijor accounted for 4.49 percent share and 1.17 percent share, respectively.

There is a 9.63-percent growth in domestic arrivals in Central Visayas and another 10.97 percent growth rate in terms of foreign arrivals.

A huge number of foreign tourists in the region came from Korea, Japan, United States and Taiwan. - Sun.Star Cebu