Philippine tourist arrivals up by 11 pct in H1

MANILA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Tourist arrivals in the Philippines have surpassed the two million mark during the first half of 2012, a senior government official said on Friday.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Ramon Jimenez said the country welcomed a total of 2,143,506 foreign visitors from January to June this year, 11.68 percent higher than last year's 1, 919,400 visitors.

He attributed the increase in tourist arrivals to the government's strong campaign "It's more fun in the Philippines."

"Since the campaign launch in January, we have been actively spreading the 'Fun' to all corners of the globe. We expect to see more tourists during the peak season before the year ends," Jimenez said.

He also cited the government's current policy reforms to facilitate entry, infrastructure development to improve travel within the country, fresh investment to expand transportation, accommodation and recreation facilities, and product enhancement in attracting more tourists in the Philippines.

"All these will help realize our year-end target of 4.6-million visitors," he added.

The top sources of foreign visitors during the first half of the year include South Korea, the United States, Japan and China.

Sourced: Xinhuanet