Philippine Chinese tourist arrivals record high growth rate in January 2009

Tourist arrivals from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan posted significant growth in January 2009 via a 100.3 percent, 65.8 percent and 31.1 percent increase, respectively, according to a preliminary report by the Department of Tourism (DOT).

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said the “in-market tactical programs” initiated by the DOT and its partners since November of 2008 for the Chinese New Year ’09 celebration greatly boosted the arrivals.

“In addition, we are also beginning to see the shift in trends and preferences of the Chinese market with their diversified choices of destinations and tourist products,” Durano further said.

Last year, the DOT and Chinese air transportation sector worked together to open new chartered flights between Shanghai and Nanning to Cebu, Guangzhou to Clark in Pampanga and Nanning and Kunming to Manila.

The Taiwanese market, on the other hand, grew from a steady recovery to a double-digit expansion with the launch of chartered flights between Taipei-Kalibo and Cebu and Kaoshiung-Cebu by Mandarin Airlines.

Mandarin Airlines’ regular charter flights between Taipei and Kalibo in Aklan have also significantly hauled Taiwanese visitors to the Boracay island.

These additional flights further served to accommodate the huge inbound traffic during the Chinese New Year celebration.

Aside from Cebu, Clark has established itself as a major hub as it opened chartered flights between Beijing-Clark through China Southern Airlines.

The Hong Kong market has also expanded its travel prospects to include Cebu and Boracay, with a substantial upsurge of Hong Kong tourists seen in these islands.

Adding developments in the transportation segment, the DOT noted other highlights in the market.

Baidu, a leading search engine in China which comprises 72 percent of its online market, said that the Philippines is on their top 10 most-searched travel destinations.

“This is certainly great news for us as more than half of China’s tourist market use the web for planning their holidays,” shared Durano.

Tourism Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr. also attributed the increase in visitor arrivals to three travel considerations of the Chinese market which include cost, Chinese-friendly culture and visa processing.

“We are strong on all three factors. We have value-for-money destination packages, pervasive Chinese influences, and visa-upon-arrival for tourists,” Jarque said.

DOT’s participation in major travel trade expositions such as the Taiwan International Travel Fair, Macau Heritage Fair, and China Dive Exhibition has also expanded the target of the tourism department to include divers and heritage sites enthusiasts.

“Diving is relatively fresh and promising for China, while our natural heritage sites are unique to their eye,” noted Durano.

The Philippines is slated to join the World Exposition Shanghai China in 2010.

China has a fast-growing economy, with an annual average of 40 million outbound tourists each spending an average of $ 3,000 per trip, according to independent surveys on China’s tourism industry.

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