Follow Philippines Immigration and Philippines News: Official statistics from the Philippines show that in the first ten months of last year, the country attracted nearly a 70% increase in Chinese tourists compared to the same period the previous year, with China surpassing Japan to become the third largest source of foreign tourists to the Philippines.
Recent tourism statistics released by the Philippine Department of Tourism indicate that in the first ten months of 2013, the Philippines attracted over 3.86 million foreign tourists, representing a year-on-year increase of 11.19%. South Korea, the United States, China, and Japan were the top four sources of foreign tourists to the country. Among them, the number of South Korean tourists reached 990,486, an increase of 18.99%; the number of American tourists reached 550,991, an increase of 3.01%; the number of Chinese tourists visiting the Philippines reached 365,905, an increase of 69.55%; and the number of Japanese tourists was 360,721, an increase of 5.57%. Official statistics show that the increase in the number of Chinese tourists to the Philippines ranks first among all major source markets.
With a large influx of Chinese tourists to the Philippines, more and more Filipino businesses are beginning to focus on attracting Chinese visitors. On the 12th, at a large shopping mall in Makati City, Metro Manila, the reporter observed that the mall was adorned with large red lanterns and the character "福" (Fortune), with high-decibel Chinese songs playing, creating a strong atmosphere for the Chinese Lunar New Year. A well-known cosmetics chain in Makati City even prepared Chinese-language "brochures" to facilitate shopping for Chinese tourists.
