RP tourist arrivals up 6%

RP tourist arrivals up 6%

MANILA: Tourist arrivals in the Philippines rose 6 percent in
January amid an intensified campaign to lure more visitors into
the country, the government said on Friday.

The Department of Tourism said a total of 220,248 tourists
visited the Philippines in January, up from 207,755 recorded in
the same month last year.

The bulk of tourists came from the United States, South Korea,
Japan, Hong Kong and Australia.

In 2004, tourist arrivals in the country rose 20.1 percent
despite persistent security concerns and negative travel
advisories from several countries, including the United States.

The tourism department said a total of 2.291 million visitors
arrived from January to December 2004, compared to 1.907 million
in the previous year. -- DPA