Tourists are seen at a resort in Batangas Province, the Philippines, on Nov. 18, 2021. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)
Since the easing of pandemic restrictions and opening of borders this February, the tourism department said that 2,462,140 international travelers visited the Southeast Asian country famous for beaches and diving sites.
MANILA, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Over 2.4 million foreign tourists visited the Philippines so far this year, earning roughly 2.65 billion U.S. dollars in tourism revenues for the Southeast Asian country, according to the Philippines' Department of Tourism (DOT) data released on Wednesday.
Since the easing of pandemic restrictions and opening of borders this February, the tourism department said that 2,462,140 international travelers visited the Southeast Asian country famous for beaches and diving sites. Most visitors came from the United States, South Korea, Australia, Canada and Britain.
The number of international tourist arrivals has surpassed the DOT's target of 1.7 million this year. For 2023, it projects 2.6 million "in a low scenario" and 6.4 million "in a high scenario."
Tourists enjoy their vacation time in Palawan Province, the Philippines, April 14, 2019. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)
Next year, the Philippines plans to improve connectivity and convenience to lure more tourists, including upgrading tourism infrastructure and digitalization.
Specifically, the government plans to develop cruise tourism, conduct regional travel fairs, develop tourism circuits and continue convergence with tourism-enhancing government agencies.
Official data showed the tourism industry contributed 5.2 percent to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021, below the pre-pandemic level.
The tourism industry's contribution to the GDP was 12.9 percent in 2019. It plunged to 5.1 percent in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, its lowest level in at least two decades. ■
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