2,470,798 foreign tourists arrived in PH in 1st half of 2023

A total of 2,470,798 foreign travelers visited the Philippines in the first six months of 2023, Quezon City Marvin Rillo, vice chairperson of the House committee on tourism, said on Friday.

“The number of foreign tourists that arrived in the Philippines between January to June 2023 already exceeded the 2,025,413 that entered the country in the whole 12 months of 2022,” Rillo said

“There’s no question that our tourism sector is on the road to a strong recovery, and that this upturn is helping to drive jobs creation,” Rillo said.

Based on employment figures released by the Philippine Statistics Authority earlier this month, Rillo pointed out that “accommodation and food service activities” alone gained 398,000 jobs as of May 2023 compared to a year ago.

Citing Department of Tourism (DOT) figures, Rillo said the top 10 foreign visitor arrivals in the first semester by nationality were:

• South Korean –        673,841 (24.94 percent);
• American –        516,318 (19.11 percent);
• Australian –        129,705 (4.80 percent);
• Japanese –        128,081 (4.74 percent);
• Canadian –        124,510 (4.61 percent);
• Chinese –        114,663 (4.24 percent);
• British –        87,376 (3.23 percent);
• Taiwanese –        86,134 (3.19 percent);
• Malaysian –        52,604 (1.95 percent); and
• Singaporean    –        49,623 (1.84 percent).

Rillo, meanwhile, welcomed France’s plan to launch direct flights from Paris to Manila, saying it would encourage a greater number of French nationals to visit the Philippines.

A total of 36,054 French nationals arrived in the Philippines in the first semester.

The French ambassador to Philippines, Michèle Boccoz, earlier this week said her government is working on opening direct flights between Manila and Paris.