P5 Billion in Visitor Receipts Expected from Indian Tourists Visiting Philippines in 2017

With the number of Indian tourists visiting Philippines projected to hit one lakh by the end of the year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) of Philippines is hoping for higher visitor receipts from India this year, said a statement by DOT, on Dec.12, reported Business Mirror.

“An Indian tourist, on the average spent at least $1,000 in the Philippines, just imagine if we are able to meet the 100,000 mark of Indian tourist arrivals?” said Tourism Undersecretary Benito C. Bengzon Jr., in a statement.

At P51 to $1, this would mean at least P5.1 billion in tourism earnings for the Philippine economy. Bengzon added that under the one-year partnership, the DOT and Singapore Airlines (SIA), one of the more popular carriers connecting India and Philippines, will implement joint marketing activities to promote the Philippines in the Indian market.

“This is a milestone for the Philippines. The India market is growing at a very fast rate. In fact, we are expecting to reach 100,000 arrivals by end of 2017. This joint agreement is envisioned to sustain and further strengthen this growth in the next years,” Bengzon further said.

On Tuesday, the DOT signed a memorandum of agreement with Singapore Airlines (SIA) to promote tourism in the country. Bengzon and SIA Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing Campbell Wilson signed the agreement in the presence of regional directors of DOT.

A host of marketing activities will be actioned through social media, steps like familiarization tours for media and travel agencies, as well as road shows will be taken up.

“We are confident we can increase visitor arrivals; it is an honor to bring our passengers anywhere in the Philippines,” Wilson said. He added that the agreement with the DOT is an important step in expanding the tourism industry of Philippines.

The number tourists travelling to Philippines from India has shot up by around 20.3 percent to 88,832 from January to October 2017. This has made the country the second-fastest growing market after China.

“The end result that we are really looking for is a wider dispersal of tourist traffic across the country and spread the benefits of tourism to communities,” Bengzon said. The DOT is also trying to convince the Department of Justice to grant a visa-on-arrival privilege to Indian tourists.

In 2016, the DOT had held promotional road shows in four Indian cities–Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai.

A large number of Filipinos of Indian descent reside in Cainta in Rizal, Metro Manila, Isabela and Negros Occidental. The trade ties between India and Philippines date back to several centuries.