Philippines targets 7.7 million foreign visitors in 2024

The Philippines expects 7.7 million international visitors in 2024, exceeding its 2023 visitation targets. This information was released by the Department of Tourism on Tuesday. According to Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, this goal represents a 52% increase over the 5.07 million international visitors recorded since January.

Secretary Frasco said that this number is less than the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, which exceeded 8.2 million international arrivals; nonetheless, he underlined his commitment to collaborating with other government agencies in order to achieve the 2024 goal.

One of the few Asian nations with a thriving casino industry that caters to both locals and tourists is the Philippines. business analysts predict that the Philippine casino business would grow in 2023 because to both domestic demand and the return of foreign visitors.

However, Maybank Investment Bank Bhd said in an email on Tuesday that the Philippine tourism industry’s 2023 performance has fell short of projections due to lower-than-expected Chinese tourist numbers. China has always been a significant market for the nation’s casinos.

In 2023, South Korea will account for slightly more than 1.34 million arrivals, making it the Philippines’ biggest source market. With 836,694 visitors, the United States ranked second, ahead of Japan (285,655), China (252,171), and Australia (238,487). Chinese tourists visited the Philippines 1.74 million times in 2019.

China’s ongoing law enforcement operation against mainland people who participate in “overseas gambling” in land-based and internet casinos outside the country is a key emphasis, according to Maybank’s research note. On Thursday, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines said that 180 Chinese nationals who had participated in offshore gambling there had been repatriated as a result of cooperative efforts between the two countries. Philippine law enforcement conducted a search on a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) located in Pasay City, Manila, on October 27. The embassy assisted in verifying the identity of Chinese citizens and expediting the repatriation procedures at the request of the Philippine authorities.

Original story by: GGRAsia