Tuesday, November 25, 2008 Tourists arriving in Cebu go up 11% despite crisis
INTERNATIONAL tourists directly disembarking at the Mactan International Airport went up by 11.3 percent in October 2008.
Korea accounted for the biggest share of visitor volume at 42.2 percent while Japan ranked as the second source market with a share of 15.6 pr cent.
These markets demonstrated growth of 12.9 and nine percent, respectively.
The growth can be attributed to the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) keen attention to promote English as a Second Language Program, geared towards the Korean market, as well as health and wellness for the Japanese ladies’ market.
Arrival from China posted a hefty growth of 116 percent with direct charter flight twice a week by the China Eastern between Shanghai and Cebu. This initiative also facilitated greater travel movement for more Chinese tourists during the Autumn Festival.
India, a new source market, also grew by 118 percent as the DOT undertook greater efforts to position Cebu as an incentive
destination, shopping haven and entertainment hub.
Visitors from Hong Kong went up by 6.5 percent, making it the third source market for Cebu.
The annual meeting of the Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents at the Shangri-la’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa in the first week of October 2008 provided an occasion to showcase Cebu as destination for meetings and incentives.
Singaporeans and Malaysians visiting Cebu expanded by 42.3 percent and 29.7 percent, respectively, as more incentive groups were organized jointly by travel agents, as well as airline and resort operators.
The number of Russian tourists visiting Cebu for leisure and holiday also increased by 40 percent.
Despite the financial crisis, the United States registered a 7.1 percent growth in arrivals. However, slowdown in arrivals from the US market is expected towards the latter part of 2008 and the first semester of 2009.
Meanwhile, the volume of international tourists disembarking at Cebu for the first 10 months of 2008 totaled to 334,482, posting a 9.4 percent increase from last year’s figure. (PR)
