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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider BI expects gradual arrival of tourists as travel restrictions ease

BI expects gradual arrival of tourists as travel restrictions ease

Published Feb 4, 2022 12:58 pm

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Friday, Feb. 4, that it expects a gradual increase of foreign tourist arrivals for this year as the country re-opens its borders starting February 10.

Bureau of Immigration

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said more tourists are expected to visit the country after almost two years of travel restrictions.

The BI chief noted a big drop of arrivals in 2021, compared to the previous year.

He said only 1.4 million tourists arrived in country last year, compared to 2.2 million in 2020.

"The numbers were dismal as the pre-pandemic records hit almost 17 million arrivals," Morente said.

Consequently, the tourist extension applications dropped by 53 percent in 2021.

The BI’s tourist visa section (TVS) processed only 111,781 applications for extension of stay of tourists, which was 53 percent lower than the 240,276 similar applications filed in 2020.

“We remain optimistic that 2022 will be a better year for international travel, especially, hoping that little by little, international tourism regains momentum,” Morente said.

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2042022 bureau of immigration
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