DOT struggles to meet targets 1 year after Yolanda

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is struggling to meet its targets one year after typhoon Yolanda ravaged the central part of the country but the Tourism chief is optimistic the Philippines would have sufficient number of tourist arrivals before the year ends.

For the full- year 2013, the DOT failed to reach its 5.5-million tourist arrivals target after only 4.7 million foreign tourists visited the country.

Despite that, the department still spiked up its target this year, projecting 6.8 million foreign tourists visiting the country this year.

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr., however, said “there is some tightness” in the foreign tourist arrivals “because of some travel advisories.”

“Philippines is still part of the growing markets. It is happening in the very good time although we have a lot of catching up to do because of typhoon Yolanda, the after effects of that is still being felt,” Jimenez said in an interview on the sidelines of Asia’s CEO Awards held in Pasay.

After having been endured by one of the strongest storms ever recorded, the country is now encouraging tourists to visit the country also as a way of assisting its recovery.

In a previous travel advisory, the DOT said the Philippines remained a "safe" destination for all tourists even after the occurrence of typhoon Yolanda.

From January to August, the agency saw 3.267 million tourists that arrived in the country, up slightly by 2.72 percent from the 3.18 million arrivals recorded in the same period last year.

Within that period, foreign tourists contributed 144.4 billion in revenues in the country, or an average daily spending of 4,160.08 per visitor.

“We are making more money than we made last year. We are bouncing back and growing in all markets, even in Korea,” Jimenez pointed out.

According to him, the top-source markets leading the growth are still Korea, the United States, China, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom. (MBM)