By Analou De Vera
More than three million foreign tourists visited the country during the first five months of this year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) reported.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo -Puyat (CZAR DANCEL / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
The tourism department said that a total of 3,489,270 international tourists went to the Philippines from January to May, marking a 9.76 percent increase from the same period last year.
"The numbers are very encouraging. From 3,178,984 tourists recorded from January to May in 2018, we are already close to breaching the 3.5 million mark this year," said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo- Puyat.
"This only shows that the preservation of our environment can go hand in hand with economic gains," she added.
The DOT noted that for the month of May alone, foreign tourist arrivals saw an "impressive 15.62 percent growth, the highest month-per-month growth rate this year to date, from 537,743 last year to 621, 719 this year."
South Korea remains as the Philippines' top source market with 788,530 tourist arrivals, the tourism department said.
Ranking second is China with 733,769 arrivals; followed by the United States of America with 472,469; Japan with 281,988; Taiwan with 128,986, Australia with 123,851; Canada with 114,605; United Kingdom with 92 ,914; Singapore with 64,951; and Malaysia with 62, 144.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo -Puyat (CZAR DANCEL / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
The tourism department said that a total of 3,489,270 international tourists went to the Philippines from January to May, marking a 9.76 percent increase from the same period last year.
"The numbers are very encouraging. From 3,178,984 tourists recorded from January to May in 2018, we are already close to breaching the 3.5 million mark this year," said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo- Puyat.
"This only shows that the preservation of our environment can go hand in hand with economic gains," she added.
The DOT noted that for the month of May alone, foreign tourist arrivals saw an "impressive 15.62 percent growth, the highest month-per-month growth rate this year to date, from 537,743 last year to 621, 719 this year."
South Korea remains as the Philippines' top source market with 788,530 tourist arrivals, the tourism department said.
Ranking second is China with 733,769 arrivals; followed by the United States of America with 472,469; Japan with 281,988; Taiwan with 128,986, Australia with 123,851; Canada with 114,605; United Kingdom with 92 ,914; Singapore with 64,951; and Malaysia with 62, 144.