International arrivals in Philippines up 40% since reopening

MANILA; The Philippines has witnessed a 40 percent increase in international arrivals in a month since lifting a ban on foreign tourists, officials said on Friday, as they expect a steady recovery of the country’s tourism sector.

The country reopened to fully vaccinated, COVID-19-negative foreign tourists on Feb. 10 after nearly two years of coronavirus pandemic border closures.

Data from the Filipino Bureau of Immigration showed the number of visitors arriving in the country had risen from 150,740 in January to 211,899 in February.

“After reopening borders on Feb. 10, the Bureau of Immigration has been processing international passenger arrivals at the country’s ports at a record rate,” the bureau’s commissioner, Jaime Morente, said.

“This is also more than 130 percent higher than the 91,000 passenger arrivals in February of 2021.”

Most of the travelers arriving from abroad were overseas Filipinos, followed by Americans, Canadians, and British nationals, according to BI statistics.

Home to white-sand beaches, famous diving spots, lively entertainment, cultural heritage, and wildlife, the Philippine economy is dependent on tourism. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, most of the country’s tourism destinations were forced to shut.

“I am positive that with our continued adherence to health protocols, we are slowly on the road to recovery,” Morente added.

Filipino Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat told reporters that the increase in arrivals was higher than expected for the time of year as visitors normally came to the Philippines around the Easter season, which this year will start in mid-April.

“We are very happy. We didn’t really expect that there would be a lot of visitors because tourists normally come in during the school break,” she said.

With Manila scheduled to host the World Travel and Tourism Council’s global summit next month, Romulo-Puyat hoped that it would help the Philippines restore tourism sector jobs lost to the pandemic.

Before the virus outbreak, in 2019, tourism contributed nearly 13 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, generating 2.51 trillion pesos ($50 billion), according to Philippine Statistics Authority data. In 2020, revenues from tourism plummeted to 973 billion pesos, with foreign arrivals slumping 82 percent.

At least 1.1 million tourism sector workers have been affected by the pandemic.

“Our goal is to restore jobs and revenue streams for our tourism workers and stakeholders,” Romulo-Puyat added. “This hosting of the WTTC summit will benefit the country by showcasing what the Philippines can offer to the world.”