As of August, PH has welcomed 1.1M tourists

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco speaks during the Go Explore Cebu Tourism Summit held at the Skyhall of SM Seaside City Cebu on Thursday, August 11, 2022. CDN Digita photo | Morexette Marie B. Erram

CEBU CITY, Philippines—While the tourism industry in the Philippines is gradually regaining grounds, it may still take a couple of years before it can fully return to its pre-pandemic state.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said tourism’s contribution to the Philippine economy may only reclaim its pre-COVID levels by 2025.

Before the pandemic, the tourism sector accounted for more than 12 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), said Frasco.

“The tourism industry, which used to hold 12 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, prior to the pandemic, is predicted to grow back pre-pandemic level only in 2025,” Frasco said. 

The Tourism secretary, however, assured that their administration is optimistic on revival of the tourism sector starting this year, especially as the Philippines welcome more tourists. 

Frasco reported that between February 10 and August 7, they have already registered a total of 1,178,753 visitor arrivals. 

“Currently, our tourism arrivals are starting to pick up with 1.1 million arrivals, when our borders reopened to international leisure travel,” she said. 

Meanwhile, Frasco bared before Cebu-based tourism stakeholders her administration’s programs and priorities to support the sector’s recovery. 

These included ‘heralding the Filipino brand’, enhancing regional circuits, streamlining interagency collaboration particularly on gateways, and giving focus on the country’s arts, culture and creative industry. 

Frasco was in Cebu City as a keynote speaker for the Go Explore Cebu Tourism Summit held at the Skyhall of SM Seaside City Cebu on Thursday, August 11, 2022.

The event, which gathered all tourism stakeholders in Cebu, formed part of the Cebu Business Month led by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI). 

Other notable figures present during the event included Central Visayas director of the Department of Tourism (DOT-7), Usec. Shalimar Tamano, CCCI President Charles Kenneth Co, and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) regional governor for Central Visayas and past CCCI president Melanie Ng. 

Central Visayas, for its part, welcomed close to 1 million tourists during the first half of 2022. 

Tamano reported on Thursday that they recorded 962,418 tourists who visited the region between January to June in 2022. 

/ bmjo

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Central Visayas welcomed close to 1M tourists in 1st half 2022