Manila, the capital of the Philippines (Source: internet) Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippine Department of Tourism said tourism isbooming in the country with more than 8 million visitors in 2019.
"Breaking the eight-million mark is another milestone to celebrate, as itmarks the unprecedented growth of the country's tourism industry," TourismSecretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said in a statement.
He attributed the historic figure to a number of factors, especially the comingof Chinese holidaymakers, the refreshed branding campaign called "It'sMore Fun in the Philippines", and the re-opening of Boracay island resortafter a six-month clean up.
China ranks second in the number of arrivals to the Philippines. In the first10 months of this year, the Philippines welcomed nearly 1,5 million Chinesetourists, up 41 percent from the same period in 2018.
Every week, more than 300flights are shuttling between China and the Philippines.
The detailed report of visitor arrivals for 2019 will be released early inJanuary next year.
The Philippines hopes to reach its target of 8.2 million foreign touristarrivals in 2019, a million higher than 2018.
According to the Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA), the tourism sector contributed12.7 percent to the Philippine economy in 2018./.
VNA
