It’s more fun for Saudi Arabians to travel to the Philippines

The number of tourist arriving in the Philippines from Saudi Arabia is expected to go up dramatically with PAL scheduled to operate flights to and from Riyadh starting Dec.

The number of tourist arriving in the Philippines from Saudi Arabia is expected to go up dramatically with PAL scheduled to operate flights to and from Riyadh starting Dec. 1 and to and from Dammam on Dec. 4.

โ€œItโ€™s more fun in the Philippinesโ€ promotional scheme launched by Philippine Airlines (PAL) to attract tourists seems to be paying off.

The turnaround can be attributed to the current administrationโ€™s performance in terms of economic recovery and good governance restoring confidence not only among investors but also tourists visiting the country from across the world, said Datu Camad M. Ali, executive president, Southern Philippines Muslim-Non Muslim Unity & Development Association Inc. (SPMUDA), an International NGO based in the Philippines promoting Philippine tourism through its global network.

According to the Tourism Research and Statistics Division (TRSD) at the Philippine Tourism Department (DOT), visitor arrivals in January to March reached a record high of 1.27 million, including 30,000 from Saudi Arabia, a 10.76 percent increase from 1.15 million arrivals for the corresponding period in 2012.

Likewise, visitor arrivals for March saw a double-digit increase of 11.28 percent with 417,392 visitors compared to the previous yearโ€™s volume of 375,083. This is the fourth consecutive month that the volume of arrivals passed the 400,000 mark.

This upward trend could be attributed to the upcoming summer season, which is a peak season for the tourism industry.

This is the second time under Benigno S. Aquinoโ€™s administration that the tourism sector has been able to maintain 1 million arrivals for the first quarter of the year, Ali told Arab News.

Based on this record, the country could reach its annual tourists arrival target of 5.5 million by the end of 2013. The same report showed that South Korea remains the leading tourist destination followed by the United States.

The โ€œItโ€™s more fun in the Philippinesโ€ program has shown a positive outcome in the tourism sector that actively promoted nature and adventure, beaches, multi-culture, lifestyle and water sports activities in the country.

The countryโ€™s tourism agency for the first time participated in the 5th Riyadh Travel Fair 2013 that took place in April. Manila had allocated 13 billion pesos to develop what it calls โ€œTourism Roadsโ€ all over the country.

The Philippines is the third largest English-speaking country in the world. It has a rich history combining Asian, European and American influences. Prior to Spanish colonization in 1521, the Filipinos had a rich culture and were trading with the Chinese and the Japanese.

Spainโ€™s colonization brought about the construction of Intramuros in 1571, a โ€œWalled Cityโ€ comprising European buildings and churches, replicated in different parts of the archipelago.

In 1898, after 350 years and 300 rebellions, the Filipinos, with leaders like Jose Rizal and Emilio Aguinaldo, succeeded in winning their independence.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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