Friday, August 24, 2007 Koreans top Cebu tourism market
KOREANS continue to dominate foreign arrivals in Cebu in the first half of the year, according to data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) 7.
Korean nationals visiting the province grew 58.43 percent from January to June this year, accounting for 37.64 percent in total visitor arrivals in the province.
In an interview with Sun.Star Cebu, Tourism Undersecretary Phineas Alburo said Cebu, and the rest of the country, continues to enjoy influx of Koreans, particularly the younger generation, who come first as tourists and then later decide to stay for several months to enhance their English proficiency in English-as-a-second-language (ESL) schools.
“Tourism in Cebu is still booming. You see foreigners everywhere in the province, especially in beach resorts and malls,” Alburo said.
Overall visitor arrival in Cebu grew 23.87 percent, totaling 748,006, in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2006.
Total foreign arrivals reached 305,950 this year from 219,331 in January-June 2006 while domestic travelers increased to 442,056 from 384,530.
The Japanese and Americans are still the second and third top markets, respectively.
Japanese arrivals rose 14.72 percent from 58,243 in the first half of 2006 to 66,817 in the same period this year.
Americans coming to Cebu increased to 34,898, a 28.55 percent jump from 27,147 last year.
Europeans are considered a potential growth market for tourism because of their tendency to stay longer and their spending habits.
A total of 33,157 Europeans flocked to Cebu from January to June this year. Those from the United Kingdom topped the list with 6,695 tourists, followed by 6,391 Germans.
Alburo said the DOT 7 continues to intensify tourism marketing strategies through tourism missions in Europe.
He admitted, though, that improving accessibility — through increasing the number of international flights to Cebu and improving road and transport systsm — is a vital factor in increasing foreign arrivals.
The DOT 7 data also revealed that the number of visitors from the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region increased 90 percent in the first half of the year.
Asean tourists in the first six months of this year grew to 8,645 from 4,550 last year. The bulk of these arrivals are from Singapore with 4,335, followed by Malaysia and Thailand.
The number of Chinese tourists, perceived as one of the priority market for tourism, more than doubled to 6,863 this year from 3,268 in 2006.
More Chinese visitors, particularly from mainland China, are expected to visit Cebu as China Southern Airlines opened four chartered and regular direct and indirect flights from Shanghai to Cebu every week. (MMM)
