Visitor target maintained at 7.7M after falling behind pace in year to date

THE Department of Tourism (DoT) said it is sticking to its 7.7 million visitor-arrival target for 2024, noting that it seeking to offset the still-weak China market by tapping other Asian source countries as well as Eastern Europe.

At a briefing ahead of the Travel Sale Expo 2024 on Wednesday, DoT National Capital Region Supervising Tourism Operations Officer Ivannovich Dmitri Tan Agote said that the department is working to develop alternative source markets.

“Last year, we were able to surpass our target, so we are confident that we will be able to surpass it (again this year),” Mr. Agote said.

“Although we are not seeing a good forecast for the Chinese market because of geopolitical issues, we are working on developing other source markets like Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Eastern Europe, and India,” he added.

He added that the DoT is also working on attracting visitors from Singapore and the Middle East.

As of Sept. 10, the Philippines admitted 4.15 million international visitors, equivalent to 53.8% of the DoT’s target for the year.

Travel Sale Expo 2024 Chairperson Michelle G. Taylan said she expects the trade show to do strong business based on seasonal consumption patterns.

“Most of the visitors will be looking for gifts for their loved ones. We are expecting around 40,000 to 50,000 in foot traffic,” Ms. Taylan said.

Kicking off on Sept. 27, the three-day travel expo will be attended by 180 exhibitors occupying 200 booths at SM Megamall’s Megatrade Hall.

“There is still demand, and it’s really unstoppable,” she added.

Mr. Agote said that the department views visa requirements as a possible brake on international tourist arrivals.

“The DoT is actually working hand-in-hand with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to explore visa-free offerings, taking inspiration from other countries that are relaxing their visa requirements,” he said.

With regard to route development, he said the DoT is working with the airlines to decongest the Manila gateway hub.

Separately, he said the DoT supports the proposed value-added tax refund scheme for tourists, which will put the country on par with neighbors already offering such refunds.

“For us in tourism, this is very welcome, because other countries are very successful with it, and replicating it here in the Philippines will certainly yield positive results, specifically in terms of enticing more tourists to come,” he added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile