The shopping activities of mainland Chinese tourists visiting the Philippines during the Chinese New Year (CNY) rose 50 percent higher this year than in 2023, the cross-border payment platform Alipay+ said on Wednesday.
At the meeting convened only last week, the DENR sought the participation of local chief executives from the five GEM sites to highlight the urgency of the matter. The five GEMS include the prime tourist destinations of El Nido and Coron in Palawan; Panglao in Bohol; Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro; and Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte.
Hotel chef Makoto Wakabayashi was among those in Wajima hoping for a banner year as visitors returned to the scenic, seaside town that weathered more than two years of pandemic gloom.
The government has embarked on infrastructure development, including digitalization and enhancing internet connectivity, to further boost tourism and gain back grounds lost during the pandemic.
The summer of 2023 has been very significant for the travel industry. By the end of July, international tourist arrivals globally reached 84 percent of pre-pandemic levels. In some European countries, such as France, Denmark and Ireland, tourism demand even surpassed its pre-pandemic level.