By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo / Special to the BusinessMirror
POLITICAL tensions between both countries notwithstanding, the Chinese market continues to help fuel the growth in visitor arrivals to the Philippines.
Latest data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed Chinese tourists rising close to 89 percent to 238,523 from January to April 2016, from 126,293 in the same period last year. The robust growth in Chinese visitors has enabled the market to edge out the Japanese as third-largest source of foreign tourists for the period in review.
China accounted for an 11.5- percent share of the 2.07-million total visitor arrivals in the first four months of the year. On a month-on-month basis, Chinese tourists grew 62.44 percent to 54,011 in April 2016 alone.
Total foreign visitor arrivals in the Philippines were up 14.25 percent, from the same period in 2015.
China and the Philippines continue to lock horns over ownership of islands and atolls in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), even as the International Court of Justice at The Hague is expected to render its decision on the territorial dispute this month.
Sources from the Tourism Promotions Board, the marketing arm of the DOT, underscored the increased flights between the Philippines and China as a reason for the rising number of Chinese tourists.
There are also “new players,” such as Xiamen Airlines and China Airlines, which have stepped up their charter services between Beijing and Manila, Beijing and Kalibo, and Beijing and Cebu, on top of the charter services also supplied by Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific Airways.
Starting July 1, PAL’s direct flights between Manila and Beijing will be eight times a week from the current four times a week, which the TPB sources said would further expand visitor arrivals from China.
Philippine hotels have also stepped up their game as far as attracting more tourists from China, said Arthur Lopez, president of the Philippine Hotel Owners Association Inc.
In a text message, he said the hotels have been employing unique marketing strategies to attract Chinese tourists “from attending trade shows in China, to sales calls to potential and producing accounts, to hosting familiarization tours for top Chinese agents, and Chinese media.”
He added that “some hotels print collaterals in Chinese. Hotels, in particular, resorts also employ Chinese-speaking staff, especially at the reception area and [have] web sites in Mandarin.”
For her part, Aileen Clemente, president of Rajah Travel Corp., said local tour operators have also been actively pursuing and offering specific packages tailored to the requirements of the Chinese tourists.
“I believe the different tour operators are also pursuing this market, some of whom deal with charters and concentrate on beach destinations, shopping and the casinos, while some others pursue high-end family tourists who want a staycation on the islands.”
According to data supplied by the DOT, South Korea still accounts for the largest source of visitors from January to April 2016, with 481,596 arrivals. The market grew some 6 percent, from the same period last year.
In second place is the United States, with 303,951 arrivals (up 7.2 percent); followed by China; Japan, with 183,620 visitors (up 9.6 percent); Australia, with 88,496 arrivals (up 5.9 percent); Taiwan, with 71,656 arrivals (up 29 percent); Canada, with 68,288 arrivals (up 12.4 percent); the United Kingdom, with 63,039 arrivals (up 16.5 percent); Singapore, with 61,033 arrivals (up 1.7 percent); and Malaysia, 2.35-percent share, with 48,835 arrivals (down 3.2 percent).
In a press statement, DOT Spokesman and Undersecretary for Tourism Development Benito C. Bengzon Jr. said: “These encouraging tourism figures can be attributed to the DOT’s aggressive marketing activities, international events held in the country, and the foreign markets’ increasing awareness of the product offerings of the different Philippine destinations.”
He added that tourism receipts also reflected the continuing strength in visitor arrivals, with earnings up 12.34 percent to some P87 billion in the first four months of 2016.