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IT seems that foreigners can’t get enough of the
Philippines as the tourist arrivals for May 2008 reached 260,567, a
6.8-percent increase compared to last year’s figures, the
Department of Tourism reported on Thursday.
This, the according to the
tourism department, brought the total volume of visitors from
January to May 2008 to 1,372,680, which is 7.4 percent better than
last year’s volume of 1,278,280.
The United States market provided
the biggest share for the month, accounting for 20.3 percent of the
total or 52,864 arrivals.
Outbound travelers in Asia
constituted 52.2 percent of the total with 135,999 arrivals. Korean
tourists had a 19 percent share or 49,476 arrivals. The Japanese
market, the third biggest, comprised 11 percent with 28,614
arrivals.
China is still locked up at fifth
with 13,994 visitors or 5.4 percent, but it has consistently
recorded a 4.3 percent increase vis-à-vis its volume of 13,419
arrivals in May last year.
Arrivals from Europe posted a
15-percent increase in visitor arrivals during the month.
Fast-growing markets from this included the United Kingdom with an
18.5-percent hike, and Russia and Spain with 70.5-percent and
25.9-percent increases, respectively.
Tourist count from Scandinavia
continued to improve substantially with Ireland growing by 31.4
percent, Finland by 18.3 percent, Sweden by 16.2 percent, Norway by
9.6 percent and Denmark by 7.8 percent.
A total of 13 cruise ships
arrived during the first five months. Of these, nine ships
disembarked in Manila, carrying a total of 10,360 visitors. Other
liners had ports of call in Subic, Cebu and Davao with 1,321
visitors.
--Rommel C. Lontayao
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