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BY MAE SINGUAY
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BACOLOD City – Extrajudicial killings in the country do not affect tourist arrivals, a Department of Tourism (DOT) official claimed.
Tourist arrival growth in the Philippines is from 8 to 10 percent a year, a “good percentage growth,” said Undersecretary Benito Bengzon.
“We are seeing a wider and a more even distribution of foreign visitor traffic across the country,” said Bengzon, who spoke at a forum on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at city hall.
Approximately three million foreign visitors went to the Philippines in the first half of the year (January to June), and the country expects to accommodate a record six million by the year-end, he said.
Bengzon also joined the celebration of the Tourism Week at the New Government Center on Thursday.
The Philippines is a “multiple-gateway destination,” said the undersecretary.
“Because we have created brand equity, we were able to manage to insulate ourselves, shield ourselves from the negative impact of the news (on extrajudicial killings) or travel advisories,” he said.
Philippine tourism is “standing on a solid ground,” stressed Bengzon.
Foreign tourists dislike traffic, pollution, beggars, and poverty most, Bengzon said, citing DOT exit surveys, when asked about the safety of tourists.
“Safety concerns hardly come out,” he said./PN
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