DoT bares RP Hot Spots

W ith the country’s 7,100 islands, it comes as no surprise that the Philippines is known as a melting pot of cultures and home of the best beaches in the world… drawing not only the locals but also numerous foreign tourists.

The Department of Tourism (DoT) considers 2003 as a landmark year with tourist arrivals reaching 1.9 million. And just recently, DoT bared a list of the country’s top tourist destinations in 2003 which might well also be the trend this year. Now, which destinations got the most number of votes as tourist "hot spots?"

The DoT statistics office revealed that the provinces of Cebu and Bohol in Central Visayas were the top destinations frequently visited by foreign tourists in 2003.

Statistics showed that a total of 232,478 foreign tourists visited the Central Visayas region last year. Cebu’s international gateway was one of the key factors for the influx of tourists because of direct flights connecting Cebu to and from other countries. As a major hub, it brings tourists closer to other local tourist destinations in the region faster.

Among the foreign tourists who frequented Cebu and Bohol were the Japanese, Koreans, Taiwanese, Americans, Germans and British. The survey revealed that the beaches are the number one tourist attractions in Central Visayas.

Many tourists also flocked to Southern Tagalog to experience the beaches of Palawan where many world-class resorts like Ammanpulo, El Nido, Club Noah, Club Paradise and Lagen, among others, are found. Around 77,927 foreigners were recorded to have visited the region last year.

Tourism economic zones Subic and Clark and other provinces in Central Luzon recorded a total of 75,222 foreign tourist arrivals. Special chartered flights provided easy accessibility for tourists such as Americans and Europeans who frequented the beaches in the area.

In Western Visayas, Boracay continues to beckon tourists with a total of 513,451 local and 70,445 foreign tourists, such as Koreans, Americans, Germans and British.

Adventure enthusiasts were attracted to the Callao Caves in Cagayan province and the Kalinga river for white water rafting and kayaking. This year, Tuguegarao in Cagayan will be the center of international events with the celebration of the 400th year of the Miraculous Lady of Piat.

The splendor of Vigan ancestral houses that remain radiant despite the passing of two centuries has attracted many foreign tourists to the North, at the same time, the Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan continued to lure foreigners because of its popularity among the pilgrims and devotees. Laoag is a major hub leading to Subic, Olongapo, Zambales, Manila and other tourist destinations.

The accessibility of Davao international airport to the other hubs has contributed to the influx of more foreign tourists to its various tourist attractions, particularly Japanese. While the cool climate and rich culture of the highlanders were the lures of Baguio.