More than 3.8 million foreign tourists have visited the Philippines since January this year, Philippine Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said on Wednesday.
The number of international visitors as of Sept. 19 was more than 80 percent of the 4.8 million foreign travelers that the Department of Tourism (DOT) targets to reach by the end of the year, said Frasco at a government-organized travel trade event in the country.
Aside from the 4.8 million foreign visitors target, the country also aims to welcome more than 85 million domestic travelers this year.
While reintroducing the Philippines as a competitive tourism destination, Frasco shared the DOT's plans to promote ecotourism, forge tourism communities across the country, and encourage the private sector to participate in heritage conservation.
According to official data, the Philippines received over 2.65 million foreign tourists in 2022, raking in 3.84 billion U.S. dollars in revenue, which was 6.2 percent of the country's gross domestic product.
The Philippines has been working to improve the tourism experience and attract more tourists by way of upgrading airports, developing new tourism destinations, and easing immigration procedures.
xinhua
