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| Cagbalete Island in Mauban, Quezon, has been attracting at least 200,000 tourists yearly before the pandemic struck, boosting the local economy. (Photo from Danny Ordonez /Contributor) |
[아시아뉴스통신=레악카나 기자] MANILA — The Philippines lost at least P400 billion in income for 2020 after foreign tourist arrivals decreased due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Tourism (DOT) reported Wednesday.
PH Inquirer said that during the hearing of the House Committee on Northern Luzon quadrangle on the tourism sector’s status in the region, DOT OIC-Undersecretary Roberto Alabado said that the country only had 1.3 million foreign tourist arrivals last year, much lower than the 8.3 million foreign visitors recorded in 2019. Alabado added that the decline in foreign tourist arrivals affected 5.7 million jobs in the country.
To help revive the tourism sector, Alabado said DOT has set its sight on focusing on domestic tourism. “If we compare the income in 2019 earned from the domestic market, we are counting on a P3 trillion market. This was what we heard in 2019,” Alabado said.“So the easiest way to revive our tourism is through the domestic market. That’s why, right now, we are promoting and at the same time developing new products, timely and efficient institutional support, and effective strategic communication,” the tourism official added.
