News from exhibitors and delegates attending Routes Asia 2024 in Langkawi, Malaysia.

Philippines Exceeds Tourism Targets

The Philippines welcomed more than 5 million international visitors from in 2023, recording more than PHP480 billion ($8.6 billion) in international tourism receipts, according to Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.

The data shows that 5,450,557 international visitors entered the country, of which 91.8% were foreigners and the remainder were overseas Filipinos. The new record is around 650,000 higher than the DOT’s target of 4.8 million international visitors.

South Korea retained the top spot as the country’s main source of international visitors, accounting for 26.4% or arrivals. It was followed by the U.S. with 903,299 tourists (16.6%); Japan with 305,580 (5.6%); Australia with 266,551 (4.9%); and China with 263,836 (4.8%).

Other foreigners who visited the country from other top source markets after China were from Canada, Taiwan, the UK, Singapore, and Malaysia.

“Since we took office, we have set our goals for the industry not only in terms of international visitor arrivals but most importantly, the number of Filipinos, including their families, who will benefit from the opportunities generated by our constant and continuous efforts to make the industry prosper,” Frasco says.

The DOT is now targeting a baseline target of 7.7 million international visitor arrivals in 2024. “Guided by our National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028, we are poised for a thriving tourism landscape, evident in surpassing our targets in international and domestic arrivals and receipts, fostering economic prosperity and further job creation for our people,” Frasco adds.

Thailand Eyes China Boost

Airports of Thailand (AoT) handled 105.9 million during 2023, marking a sharp rise of almost 69% on the previous 12 months.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, the country’s main international gateway, accounted for almost half the total with 51.7 million passengers. This represented year-on-year growth of 79.8%.

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It is hoped that the recovery of the Thailand-China market will continue to drive growth in 2024. From March, the countries will implement a visa-free entry policy for their citizens, allowing stays of up to 30 days.

Thailand hopes the move will help to attract 8 million Chinese visitors this year, surpassing the 3.5 million in 2023 and moving closer to the 11 million achieved in 2019.

Since the turn of the year, China Southern Airlines has resumed BKK service from Shenyang and increased frequencies from Guangzhou; China Eastern has commenced a Lanzhou-Phuket service; Beijing Capital Airlines has resumed daily Hangzhou-BKK flights; and Thai VietJet has started a BKK-Beijing Daxing route.

ACV Signs Vietnam Airlines Agreement

Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) and Vietnam Airlines have signed a strategic cooperation agreement, consolidating their strengths and resources.

The collaboration, under the Committee for Management of State Capital at Enterprises, focuses on joint research and development of aviation products and services aligned with global trends. Key areas include optimizing advertising, communication efforts, and cooperation in information technology and digital transformation.

This partnership aims to enhance service quality, operational efficiency, and overall business development for both entities, contributing positively to Vietnam's aviation industry and socio-economic growth.