BI Anticipates 1.5 Million Passenger Arrivals in December

MANILA: The Bureau of Immigration (BI) forecasts approximately 1.5 million passenger arrivals in December, a significant increase attributed to the government’s aggressive tourism campaigns. Commissioner Norman Tansingco announced this estimate on Monday, highlighting a major upswing in travel trends for 2023.

According to Philippines News Agency, the BI observed a substantial increase in arrivals starting from the second quarter of 2023, with monthly figures reaching around 1 million, a stark contrast to the less than 100,000 monthly arrivals during the peak of the pandemic. In November alone, the BI recorded 1,160,699 arriving passengers, nearly half of whom were foreign nationals. This surge in arrivals reflects the success of the government’s tourism initiatives. Comparatively, the total number of arriving passengers in 2023 is already 79 percent higher than in 2022. Additionally, Tansingco noted a revival in Filipino outbound tourism, with almost 1.1 million departures in November, approaching pre-pandemic levels of 1.3 million in November 2019. The BI has also strengthened its manpower and implemented augmentation teams and mobile counters to ensure efficient operations during the holiday season.