More than 21,000 people visited the Philippines since its reopening

Most tourists have come from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom

The Manila Bulletin reported that more than 21,000 fully vaccinated international visitors have arrived in the Philippines since the borders reopened earlier this month. More than 10,000 of them were returning Filipinos while about 12,000 of them were foreign tourists.

Most tourists have come from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Foreigners from South Korea, Australia, Vietnam, and Japan have also been spotted within the country.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said, “The recent influx of tourists reflect foreign tourists’ enthusiasm towards visiting our country, which in turn will accelerate the revival of our tourism industry. We at the DOT continue to be optimistic that this trend will be sustained and will support, not only the tourism industry but also, the recovery and growth of our economy.”

According to the Philippines News Agency, the Philippine government has resorted to using virtual reality to promote the country and entice local and international tourists.

The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) described SmartTourism as a strategy designed to integrate innovation and digitisation by strengthening digital platforms, ensuring data-driven planning, and enhancing online marketing capabilities.

“The most distinct driver of change that has happened in any industry is the massive shift towards digitalisation and innovation. The virtual tours are a product of our drive to be better and do better amid the trying times,” said TPB chief operating officer Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones.

The tourist spots featured in the global tourism campaign include Bohol, Cebu, La Union, and Zambales.

More: Fully vaccinated tourists welcome to travel to the Philippines starting 10 February

Philstar.com also mentioned that Puyat said that the Philippines has been ready to welcome vaccinated tourists from visa-free countries since 2020.

“These are exciting times for Philippine tourism. We have been ready since 2020; with the significant dwindling of new COVID cases, the Department of Tourism (DOT) can now push forward with our plans and programs for the full recovery of the Philippine tourism industry,” said Puyat.

Pre-pandemic figures reached 8.26 million tourist visits, but this number went down to 1.48 million in 2020.

The Property Report editors wrote this article. For more information, email: [email protected].