THE Philippines booked 5.45 million tourist arrivals in 2023, surpassing the government’s target for the year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Tuesday, Jan. 2.
This was around 650,000 higher than the DOT’s target of 4.8 million international visitors projected to visit the country for the entire year.
Tourism secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said this generated P482.54 billion in international tourism receipts. This was also higher compared to 2019 during which the country booked P482.15 billion in international tourism receipts.
Foreigners made up 91.8 percent of the tourist arrivals, with the remaining 8.2 percent comprising overseas Filipinos.
“South Korea retains its top spot as the country’s main source of international visitors, getting 26.41 percent of the pie which delivered 1,439,336 foreign tourists,” the DOT said.
United States followed with 903,299 tourists (16.57 percent) visiting the country; Japan with 305,580 (5.61 percent); Australia with 266,551 (4.89 percent); and China with 263,836 (4.84 percent).
Frasco highlighted the industry’s speedy recovery, with international tourism receipts in 2023 growing 124.87 percent compared to 2022. (ABS-CBN News)
