Boracay, Cebu top destinations for Chinese spring fest tourists
GMANews.tv
02/04/2011
Cebu and Boracay top the list of favorite destinations for Chinese tourists celebrating the Spring Festival Week in the Philippines, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Friday.
Citing figures from its offices in China and from tour operators in the Philippines, the DOT said some 3,500 Chinese nationals are trooping to the Philippines for the spring festival, with the wave of tourist arrivals expected within the first week of February.
“Among the top-selling Philippine destinations this year are Boracay and Cebu, with the new available chartered flights to Kalibo direct from Shanghai and Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China," the DOT said in a news release posted on the government portal.
Arrivals from China posted a 20.9-percent increase in 2010, while arrivals from Hong Kong and Taiwan posted 8.9 percent and 39.29 percent increases, respectively, the DOT said.
It said the uptrend signifies renewed confidence among visitors from these regions, which comprised more than 13 percent of total tourist arrivals in the Philippines in 2010.
"This market is anticipated to push continued growth as activities are undertaken to reposition the country as a safe and secure tourist destination," it said.
As a gesture of goodwill for the tour groups, the DOT said it is providing tourist assistance services for their stay in the country.
The DOT added that Philippine consular and tourism offices in China remain open despite the long Spring Festival holiday there because of continued bookings and applications for visa issuances for travel to the Philippines.
Coinciding with their Spring Festival, the Chinese celebrate the Chunyun period (Spring Festival Transportation Rush), dubbed the world's largest yearly human migration, 15 days before the Chinese New Year. This year's Chunyun started on January 19 and will last for 40 days.
Passenger journeys within China during Chunyun shoot up to as many as two billion, as the period has become an opportunity for family reunions, posing problems on the country's transportation systems.
With more opportunities to travel abroad and visit their overseas kin, Chinese nationals also take advantage of the Chunyun holidays to travel to neighboring countries, including the Philippines.
Last year, Philippine tourism suffered a blow after a dismissed police officer hijacked a bus full of Hong Kong tourists and eventually killed eight of the hostages.
The August 23 hostage tragedy prompted Hong Kong to issue a "black" travel warning discouraging travel to the Philippines.—With Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV
Citing figures from its offices in China and from tour operators in the Philippines, the DOT said some 3,500 Chinese nationals are trooping to the Philippines for the spring festival, with the wave of tourist arrivals expected within the first week of February.
“Among the top-selling Philippine destinations this year are Boracay and Cebu, with the new available chartered flights to Kalibo direct from Shanghai and Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China," the DOT said in a news release posted on the government portal.
Arrivals from China posted a 20.9-percent increase in 2010, while arrivals from Hong Kong and Taiwan posted 8.9 percent and 39.29 percent increases, respectively, the DOT said.
It said the uptrend signifies renewed confidence among visitors from these regions, which comprised more than 13 percent of total tourist arrivals in the Philippines in 2010.
"This market is anticipated to push continued growth as activities are undertaken to reposition the country as a safe and secure tourist destination," it said.
As a gesture of goodwill for the tour groups, the DOT said it is providing tourist assistance services for their stay in the country.
The DOT added that Philippine consular and tourism offices in China remain open despite the long Spring Festival holiday there because of continued bookings and applications for visa issuances for travel to the Philippines.
Coinciding with their Spring Festival, the Chinese celebrate the Chunyun period (Spring Festival Transportation Rush), dubbed the world's largest yearly human migration, 15 days before the Chinese New Year. This year's Chunyun started on January 19 and will last for 40 days.
Passenger journeys within China during Chunyun shoot up to as many as two billion, as the period has become an opportunity for family reunions, posing problems on the country's transportation systems.
With more opportunities to travel abroad and visit their overseas kin, Chinese nationals also take advantage of the Chunyun holidays to travel to neighboring countries, including the Philippines.
Last year, Philippine tourism suffered a blow after a dismissed police officer hijacked a bus full of Hong Kong tourists and eventually killed eight of the hostages.
The August 23 hostage tragedy prompted Hong Kong to issue a "black" travel warning discouraging travel to the Philippines.—With Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV
No comments:
Post a Comment