TOURISTS from Korea topped the number of foreign guests in Western Visayas, including Negros Occidental, in 2016, reports from the Department of Tourism (DOT)-Western Visayas Region showed.
Of the total 1.03 million foreign tourist arrivals in the region last year, 357,362 are Koreans, followed by Chinese, 281,227; and Taiwanese, at 56,859.
The three countries hugely form part of the 720,492 tourists from East Asia catered by tourism accommodation facilities in Region 6.
Other top countries included United States of America, with 42,142 tourists, and Malaysia with 28,114.
DOT-Western Visayas Regional Administrative Officer Artemio Ticar, designated tourism area development head for Negros Occidental, on Tuesday told VoxPop Bacolod that the huge tourist arrivals from Korea is mainly attributed to better connectivity between the East Asian country and Western Visayas.
He said direct flights from Korea to Kalibo, Aklan as well as chartered flights to Iloilo City have allowed more opportunities for Koreans to reach Western Visayas and experience its various tourism offerings.
“The high English language proficiency of the people in the region is also a factor,” Ticar said, adding that more Koreans come to Panay and Negros Islands for its cheaper yet quality education.
In Negros Occidental, Americans topped the number of tourists who visited the province last year, at 2,636. They are followed by those from Germany, 2,313; Sweden, 2,121; France, 1,759; and Australia, 1,724.
Also in its capital Bacolod City, the most number of foreign tourists also came from USA, 10,576. Koreans ranked second with 9,610 followed by tourists from Hong Kong, 5,716; Australia, 3,835; and China, 3,541.
Ticar said more Americans are coming to Negros Occidental due to its vast eco-tourism offerings.
Americans are attracted to tourism spots especially those that give them the experience of being closer to the nature, he added.
All in all, the 1.03 million foreign tourists form part of the total 5.19 million tourist arrivals in Western Visayas last year comprised almost 4.12 million domestic tourists, and 47,666 overseas Filipinos or “balikbayans.”
DOT reports further showed that last year’s tourist arrivals of Western Visayas was 12.12 percent higher than the 4.63 million visitors in 2015.
“We have to sustain our efforts like aggressive marketing and promotion not only in the Philippines but also in other countries for us to keep reaching the 10 percent target increase every year,” Ticar said.
