SOME 1.8 million tourists visited Cebu Province in the first nine months of 2022, up 175.32 percent from 669,243 tourists during the same period in 2021, a partial report of the Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 showed.
Local tourists account for 82.63 percent of the total arrivals during the period or 1,522,574 arrivals, up 142.74 percent versus the same period last year.
Foreign tourists, on the other hand, logged 317,761 in arrivals, up 661.58 percent.
South Korea remains Cebu's top tourist source market with arrivals of 83,792 followed by the USA with 57,625 arrivals. China came third, sending 41,761 tourists. The East Asian country is followed by Japan with 16,449 arrivals and Australia with 14,430.
Completing the top 10 are tourists from the United Kingdom (10,624), Germany (6,813), Canada (6,344), Singapore (6,285), and United Arab Emirates (4,738).
Cebu City logged 580,296 domestic arrivals from January to September this year while Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue cities recorded 321,113 and 228,472 arrivals, respectively. Cebu Province had 392,693 domestic tourists.
As for foreign arrivals, Cebu City logged 155,671 foreign guests, while Lapu-Lapu City which hosts several resorts logged 115,326 guests and Mandaue City with 35,068 arrivals.
Region 7 arrivals
Central Visayas which hosts four provinces, namely Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor and Negros Oriental welcomed 2,234,295 tourists, up 159. 61 percent from 860,647 arrivals last year.
The region logged 1.897 million local tourists and 334,668 foreign tourists.
Arrivals from South Korea stood at 85,490; USA, 61,326; China, 42,679; Japan, 17,090; and Australia, 15,275.
Most of the local tourists visited Cebu at 1.522 million followed by Bohol (215,605), Negros Oriental (112,298) and Siquijor logged (46,732).
Foreign arrivals in Cebu stood at 320,005 followed by Bohol (6,674), Siquijor (6,485) and Negros Oriental (3,922).
e-Travel system
Meanwhile, the DOT welcomed the launching of the country's e-Travel system as a streamlined digitized platform that will provide convenience to the traveling public.
"Pursuant to our President's direction, we in the Department of Tourism have supported the removal of the One Health Pass, the transition to the E-arrival Card and finally, this full integration of the arrival and departure systems by the relevant government agencies into the e-travel system. We are hopeful that with the continued collaboration between government agencies to improve the mechanisms of travel into and around the Philippines, we can encourage greater mobility and travel confidence and welcome an enhanced traveler experience," said Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco, in a statement. (KOC)