THE PHILIPPINES logged over three million international visitors as of July 19, on track to meet that 4.8 million target this year, the Department of Tourism (DoT) said.
The DoT said in a statement on Wednesday that the foreign arrivals total was 3,000,079 as of July 19. Foreign visitors accounted for 2.74 million arrivals while 259,277 were returning overseas Filipinos.
According to the DoT, South Korea accounted for 741,658 visitors, followed by the US with 550,569. Other top source countries were Australia (146,062), Japan (143,227), and Canada (132,018).
Other leading sources of visitors were China (129,077), Taiwan (104,211), the UK (85,847), Singapore (81,656), and Malaysia (54,411).
The 2023 international arrivals target of 4.8 million is significantly higher than the actual arrivals of 2.65 million posted in 2022 with the reopening of international travel.
“We are glad to report that in roughly seven months, we have hit the 3 million international visitor arrivals mark, reflecting continued robust recovery and the gains of the Marcos Administration towards the resurgence of Philippine tourism,” Tourism Secretary Maria Esperanza Christina G. Frasco said.
The DoT estimates receipts from inbound tourism in the first half of P212.47 billion, up 502.02% from a year earlier. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave