Tourist Numbers , 2 Million!

[Bruce]

Foreign tourist arrivals reach 2 M in May

By Donnabelle Gatdula (The Philippine Star)  | Updated July 5, 2013 - 12:00am

 

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez

 

 

MANILA, Philippines - Foreign tourist arrivals reached a record of over 2 million in the first five months of the year, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez reported yesterday.

 

 

Jimenez said from January to May, the arrival of foreign visitors went up to 2.011 million or a 10.54 percent increase from the same period last year. “It is noteworthy to highlight that this is the first time in Philippine history that we reached the 2 million mark in the first five months of the year,” the Department of Tourism (DOT) chief said.

 

 

For the month of May alone, he noted that arrivals rose by 12.47 percent to 362,062 from 321,920 in the same month in 2012. The latest tourist arrivals further boosted the DOT’s confidence that it will meet its target of 10 million tourist arrivals by 2016.

 

 

“We have been seeing a sustainable increase in arrivals since last year. This building enthusiasm for the Philippines, aided by our government’s good governance agenda, gives us the confidence to achieve our target of 10 million tourist arrivals by 2016,” Jimenez earlier said.

 

 

 

For the first four months of 2013, foreign arrivals reached 1,649,458 million or a 10.12 percent increase from the same period in 2012. “This growth is an affirmation of our various marketing and destination development activities, strengthened by partnerships with the various stakeholders,” he said. He added that while the upsurge may primarily be attributed to the summer season, it is also a clear indication that the nation has galvanized its reputation as an attractive tourist destination.

 

 

“Central to this, we are reaching out to industry, government, and civil society to continue investing in sustainable projects and partnerships to secure our continued growth,” Jimenez said. As this developed, Jimenez lauded proponents of the 8th Ambassadors, Consuls General and Tourism Directors’ Tour (ACGTDT).

 

 

“We count on you to help us spread the Philippine brand of fun to more people around the world. With that, we hope for a successful tour and may your travel experience be positive, memorable and more fun,” he said. Thirteen Philippine ambassadors and consuls from the US and Canada led by Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia would join the ACGTDT this year, in addition to some 479 other delegates.

 

 

 

[JJReyes]

This is wonderful news! Soon we will beat Malaysia whose 2012 visitor count was 25.03 million.

[Bruce]

As a follow up to the above article, I shall restate my position that means absolutely nothing to the Philippine government!

 

1. End the free 21 day visas.

2. Charge a flat $10 a month per adult or $30 per family to stay beyond the 1st month with no end.

4. The airlines are responsible to add the 1st months payment to their ticket price, with a $1 service fee.  

 

If the above article is correct, 2 million tourists arrived by the end of May. So, following that out to the 12 month end of the year, it is reasonable to say that Phils will have about 4.5 to 5 million tourists per calendar year.

 

By ending the 21 day free visa and instead charging $10 per adult or $30 per family it will generate $45 million +++ per year. Money that Phils does not have due to the free 21 day stay. Any traveler who claims they can not afford the $10 a month... should not be traveling!

 

Now, this does not include money from month to month tourists who now pay more and having to deal with a convoluted schedule of BI visits and fees. By streamlining this process to a simple $10 per adult per month, it reduces the work load and paper load by BI by a huge amount. It encourages more month to month stayers and over all would provide more profit and far less maintenance for Phils. No need for 'fixers' or fake BI stamps. Mush lower theft by BI employees and they have access to less cash. Make an ON LINE payment option to further reduce BI work loads and costs.

 

More money, less work, less payroll, less employee theft all of which is easily done by following the above fee schedule. But... it is too easy for the government to accept. If it is not hard to do and costly and full of corruption... they will not do it.

[JJReyes]

They collect the money when you leave known as the Departure Tax. The tax is from everyone including departing OFWs and vacationing Filipinos. This is much higher revenues than taking money from arriving visitors. It's suppose to go to facilities improvement. The government must have billions in their vaults by now just waiting to be spent. In the meantime, the Manila International Airport reminds me of Manila's slum areas. 

 

Malaysia offers a longer visa waiver program. I need to recheck the figures, but it's something like 90 days. The ease of travel, excellent infrastructure for tourism starting with their airports, and safety are some of the reason they attract five time more visitors than the Philippines. 

Edited July 4, 2013 by JJReyes

[Bruce]

Ok, I think I pay 700p leaving. There is not any reason to stop that. It just makes good business sense to open up the visa to the 30 day and at $10 a month..... Mo money!

[Curley]

Hmmm.................. “We have been seeing a sustainable increase in arrivals since last year. This building enthusiasm for the Philippines, aided by our government’s good governance agenda, gives us the confidence to achieve our target of 10 million tourist arrivals by 2016,” Jimenez earlier said.

 

So they're getting excited about a 10% rise and expect to meet the target of 10,000,000 by 2016. ?

 

I think the 2012 number was about 4,000,000

A 10% rise for this year will put them at 4.400,000

A 20% rise for 2014 will put them at 5,280,000

 

To hit 10,000,000 by 2016 they will have to double the 2014 number in 2015

 

Sorry Phils it just is not going to happen.

Edited July 4, 2013 by Curley

[Bruce]

Hmmm.................. “We have been seeing a sustainable increase in arrivals since last year. This building enthusiasm for the Philippines, aided by our government’s good governance agenda, gives us the confidence to achieve our target of 10 million tourist arrivals by 2016,” Jimenez earlier said.

 

So they're getting excited about a 10% rise and expect to meet the target of 10,000,000 by 2016. ?

 

I think the 2012 number was about 4,000,000

A 10% rise for this year will put them at 4.400,000

A 20% rise for 2014 will put them at 5,280,000

 

To hit 10,000,000 by 2016 they will have to double the 2014 number in 2015

 

Sorry Phils it just is not going to happen.

Especially with the Tourism Board and the Bureau of Immigration not being on just different pages, but in different books! One written in Visayan and the other in French!

 

And when the expected number of tourists does not meet the projections, they can blame each other.

[JJReyes]

In bureaucracy, the ability to achieve your projections is unimportant. The numbers are presented to increase your department's budget and size. Size is what give the secretary power and sense of importance. What happens to Secretary Jimenez in 2016? Absolutely nothing. By then the current president's term is over and a new tourism secretary is installed by the next one, who promptly comes up with a new projection that in six years tourism will increase to 20,000,000 or some other highly inflated number.  

[Curley]

In bureaucracy, the ability to achieve your projections is unimportant. The numbers are presented to increase your department's budget and size. Size is what give the secretary power and sense of importance. What happens to Secretary Jimenez in 2016? Absolutely nothing. By then the current president's term is over and a new tourism secretary is installed by the next one, who promptly comes up with a new projection that in six years tourism will increase to 20,000,000 or some other highly inflated number.  

 

Exactly, it is pure PR to keep him in a very cushy job with a nice big budget to spend and lots of free dinners. A pity the journalists don't take a look at the figures and comment accordingly............ of course he may never get another invite to a press conference to give him easy info to fill his newspaper!

[jpbago]

Last week, I was delayed for 2 hours from leaving Manila due to air traffic congestion and that is with 5 million tourists. If that is to double in 2 years with no changes to the airports, the tourists will only come once.

Also, I believe that the tourist numbers include all flight passengers whether it be tourists, OFWs, returning Filipino vacationers, and OPBIs (overseas pork barrel investors).