18 July 2005 – Consul General Zenaida T. Rabago of the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Vancouver, Canada, reported to Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alberto G. Romulo that aggressive tourism promotion in Western Canada by Vancouver PCG and the Department of Tourism (DOT) office in Toronto has resulted in an 18.9% increase in Canadian tourist arrivals in the Philippines, making Canada the 8th among the top sources of tourism arrivals in the Philippines.

The DOT has registered 32,217 tourist arrivals from Canada for the first five months of 2005, compared with 27,096 for the same period in 2004.  Based on 2004 figures, there were 68,994 tourist arrivals from Canada, with 17,387 of these coming from British Columbia province and 7,421 coming from Alberta province, making these two provinces within the jurisdiction of the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver the second and third largest sources of inbound tourists in the whole of Canada.

Consul General Rabago assured Secretary Romulo that Vancouver PCG continues its aggressive tourism promotion with the cooperation of the DOT to entice more Canadians to visit the Philippines and enjoy its diverse offerings.  She cited the inclusion in the Vancouver PCG website of web pages containing comprehensive information on the Philippines and the top tourism destinations within the country.  END
 
 

/jay