THE PHILIPPINES has recorded more than 8.1 million Filipino and foreign passenger arrivals from January to August 2023, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Tuesday, noting a rebound in visits to the country from last year.
“We are getting there,” Immigration Commissioner Norman G. Tansingco said as he noted an expected 4 million more arrivals in the last quarter of the year. “The significant increase in arriving passengers shows that tourism and international travel are already on the rebound,” he added.
In the same period last year, the BI processed only 2.87 million passengers.
In preparation for the influx, Mr. Tansingco said the BI intends to purchase more electronic gates to speed up immigration processing and make requirements more convenient for passengers.
Earlier, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said that the country has recorded more than 4 million foreign visitors from January to September 2023. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
