Employment in the tourism sector posted rose lightly by 4.1 percent to 4.9 million in 2021 from 4.68 million in 2020.
Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the Department of Tourism (DOT) also noted an increase in internal tourism expenditures by 16.3 percent.
The PSA estimated a marginal growth to 5.2 percent on the contribution of tourism direct gross value added (TDGVA) to the country’s gross domestic product from 5.1 percent in 2020.
The TDGVA amounted to P1.30 trillion, 9.2 percent higher than P917. 20 billion in 2020.
The DOT said the figures are positive indicators of the government’s initiatives to stimulate the industry to a sustained recovery.
“The sustained influx of tourists in the Philippines is a good measure of the industry’s success in its preparations to welcome foreign tourists in the new normal. Our high vaccination rate among tourism workers and reportedly low cases around the country have helped restore the confidence of travelers to visit the Philippines during the summer season,” the DOT said.