Philippines Predicts Five Years of Tourism Growth

A report released Wednesday by the Philippines Department of Tourism shows an increase in tourist arrivals and revenues in 2008. They also predict the gains of last year to continue into the next five years. A total of 3.14 million foreigners visited the Philippines in 2008, a 1.5-percent rise from 2007 figures. Markets showing growth include China, France and Russia. South Koreans remained the top visitors in 2008, numbering 611,629 or a 19-percent increase from 2007. Visitors from the U.S. were second with 578,246, up by 18.4 percent.
Along with a new list of tourist-drawing festivals, the Philippines Department of Tourism is encouraging villages in the Cordillera Administrative Region to start setting up camps for high-end tourists. They’re calling this luxury product “glamping” as in “glamorous camping.”