Proving that the Philippines is an emerging destination for Muslim tourists, arrivals from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC Middle East) have perked up by 115 percent, data from the Department of tourism said.
In 2023, foreign tourist arrivals from the GCC have overtaken the 2019 figures, reaching 79,041 and posting a 115.28 percent recovery rate.
Arrivals from the Middle East region accounted for 68,562 in 2019.
For the 2023 numbers, the United Arab Emirates led the surge of tourist arrivals to the Philippines with 33,769, followed by Saudi Arabia (19,311), Qatar (10,438), Kuwait (6,915), Bahrain (5,886) and Oman (2,695).
Meanwhile, tourists from Bahrain totaled 3,296, while Oman and Qatar had 2,526 and 2,491 visitors, respectively.
GMTI 2024 Rankings
Meanwhile, according to Mastercard, “the Philippines recorded an increase in its score on communications compared to 2023. Among non-OIC destinations, the Philippines has steadily increased its appeal to Muslim tourists by…
