Last year, tourism delivered over $4 billion in receipts. From January to November, 3,522,887 visitors came to the Philippines, 12 percent more than the number in the previous year. It spurred tourism officials to set bigger goals for this year. As in previous years, South Koreans made up the biggest group of visitors – 839,111. Our neighbors from the Land of the Morning Calm have always found our beaches and tropical climate hard to resist.
The number of tourists from ASEAN is climbing. There was a 12.04 percent rise in arrivals from ASEAN countries between 2010 and 2011. Of particular interest to Philippine authorities is Malaysia. Last year we welcomed more than 80,000 visitors from Malaysia, making that country our 11th biggest tourist market.
This year the government is launching a major campaign to attract more tourists from Malaysia. The private sector has also realized there is much to be gained from tapping that country as a tourist market. Already, a local airline company, Cebu Pacific, has plans to open a Manila-Kuala Lumpur route with twice-daily flights. It also will be flying to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, Sarawak.
The Philippines has much to offer as a tourist destination. Boracay has long been a favorite attraction. The Underground River in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, is one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, aside from being a World Heritage Site. The Chocolate Hills of Bohol are as intriguing as they are unique. And festivals like the Ati-atihan and Masskara are a celebration of color and revelry. Aside from being a potential source of foreign exchange, it also opens up livelihood opportunities for thousands of people in the countryside. We must support the government’s effort to achieve this goal.
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