BAGUIO CITY – Tourist-luring regions – particularly Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are jockeying to cast their tourism nets and lasso a fair slice of the Japanese tourist dollar which last year amounted to 28.1 trillion yen (equivalent to over 182 billion dollars) and, more particularly, because of a favorable Memorandum of Agreement on tourism between the Philippines and Japan.
Also last year, the Philippines earned the reputation as the top country among the ten countries of the ASEAN for tourist arrivals from Japan. In July of 2023, the Department of Tourism (DOT) recorded a total of 51,700 Japanese visitors. In total, the Philippines welcomed 99,557 Japanese travelers for 2023.
That year, Japanese travelers on outbound trips spent about 9 trillion yen on their way out of their country, or equivalent to $ 58,548,771, 000, according to figures released by Japan’s transport ministry.
As of May this year, the number of overseas Japanese travelers was up by 941,710 persons. From January to May, the total was 4,867,731 persons.
In 2023, the total number of Japanese travelling overseas to different countries rose to 9.62 million persons.
On the average, more than 2 million Japanese go out out of their country, yearly. In 2021, the figure exceeded 2,77 million persons.
In 2022, Japan recorded 2,58 million outbound trips, a significant rebound in the Japanese outbound tourist market, following the difficult years of the Covid-19 pandemic. The surge was attributed to Japan’s highly efficient and well-executed vaccination system, relaxed travel restrictions and the strong desire for travel by the Japanese population.
Visitor receipts released by the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) revealed that among the top markets, the Philippines snagged about 5.25 billion Philippine pesos from Japanese-spending visitors in 2020.
Last year also saw the Philippines and Japan finally inking a landmark agreement to expand opportunities for tourism development between the two countries. It is a 5-years tourism deal of increasing tourist arrivals for both countries, encouraging visits to various tourist destinations of both countries particularly in rural areas and encouraging growth of tourism industry for both countries.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina G. Frasco and Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLITT) Tetsuo Saito signed a Memorandum of Cooperation — the first stand alone cooperation – between the two nations with the agreement of strengthening and further developing Philippine – Japan ties in the field of tourism.
The contract was signed in the presence of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the latter’s first official visit to the Philippines last November.
“With the signing of the landmark Memorandum of Cooperation on Tourism under the Marcos administration, the Philippines bilateral relations with Japan is strengthened as we anticipate that this will exponentially expand tourism opportunities with the Japanese, which is one of our top source markets,” Secretary Frasco said after the signing.
“This shall also usher in, further tourism development in the fields of sustainability, air and sea connectivity, education, human capital development, culture, gastronomy, nature and adventure, which shall increase tourism revenues for our stakeholders, usher in more tourism investments and create more jobs for our fellow Filipinos, as envisioned by our President, Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., the DOT secretary added.
The memorandum is subject for renewal by year 2028. The tourism deal is expected to further boost arrival of Japanese visitors and will encourage the visitors to visit tourist destinations in the Philippines rural areas, aside from the usual tourism come-ons.
Spanning continents and bridging connections, tourism is one of the pillars that prop economy in CAR. The 75 municipalities, 6 provinces and two cities offer unique, natural attractions for both domestic and foreign tourists and it enjoys a distinct advantage being a natural ecotourism destination over the past several decades.
It has aided in the economic recovery in CAR, helping the region achieve an 8.7 per cent Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) in 2022, despite the whiplash of the pandemic.
CAR suffered a 10.1 per cent economic contraction in 2020, translated to losing about 288.9 billion pesos, but rebounded with a 7.6 per cent growth the following year.
For Baguio City, its economy continues to benefit from the recovery of the tourism sector, as the city’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose to 11.3 per cent in 2022.
Travel has existed since the beginning of time when primitive man set out, often traversing great distances. In Cordillera highlands for decades past, the tribal people have travelled for purposes of trade, economic gain, religious convictions, migration, tribal conflicts, and other equally compelling motivations throughout its course of history.
Travel has continued to grow and throughout recorded history, played a vital role in the development of civilization.
One can argue that tourism is like a circle, representing a starting point, which ultimately returns back to its beginning. Therefore, like a circle, a tour represents a journey in that it is a round trip. Example: the act of leaving and then returning to the original starting point, and therefore, one who takes such a journey can be called a tourist.
Tourism, as known today, is distinctly a twentieth century phenomenon. Tourism in selected regions in the Philippines like CAR, has grown significantly in both economic and social importance.
Services has been one among the fastest growing economic activity in CAR over the past years. One of the largest segments of the service industry, as an entity in some countries like the Philippines, is travel and tourism.
In CAR, tourism is a social/economic phenomenon acting both as an engine of economic progress and as a social force, Tourism in CAR is much more than an industry. Tourism is not just business or the Local Government Units (LGUs). Tourism is people. Supporting CAR tourism growth and development needs to be viewed in this broader context.
DOT-CAR is attuned to this people-oriented tourism philosophy and manifested its director Jovita Ganongan when she previously said, “We take cognizance of the efforts of both public and private sectors. For without their initiatives, we could not have achieved great milestones.”
“The DOT will continue to foster cooperation, collaboration and co-action among stakeholders for tourism in the Cordilleras. These are essential elements in building a successful tourism industry.” Ganongan said.
“A strong sense of collaboration and cooperation can help build a more resilient and sustainable industry that benefits everyone involved,” Ganongan added.
Today, for example in the case of tourism in Baguio City as regards Japanese tourists coming to the city, they will discover for themselves that a great deal of time and energy have been devoted to capture a nostalgia of the Japanese and embedded in the city of the pine trees.
Many years, after the strife and savagery of the Second World War, Japan and the Philippines strove to establish friendly ties. Tourism did its one little step, one giant leap share in helping the Philippines cement that friendly goal. Let us look at some of these:
– The “Little Kyoto” Bamboo Eco park in St. Francis Xavier Seminary in Pacdal, Liteng. It showcases different types or species of bamboos planted to line the eco-park’s pathways. In Japan, there exists a natural bamboo forest in Kyoto and has several pathways for tourists and visitors. The Ministry of Environment considers it the soundscape of Japan;
– Mirador Heritage and Eco-park, Mirador Hills, besides Lourdes Grotto. Here can be found the imposing torii gate. A torii is a traditional Japanese gate commonly found at entrance of or within a Shinto Shrine. It symbolically marks the transition of the mundane to the sacred and a spot where spirits are welcomed and believed to travel through;
– Arashiyama Bamboo Grove at Mirador Hill;
– Historic Japanese tunnels of Baguio. It is located at Botanical Garden and stretches to parts of Barangay Pacdal, Outlook Drive and the Mansion in Romulo Drive. It is a 150 meters’ tunnel walkway;
– Filipino-Japanese Friendship Memorial Shrine. Located at Governor Pack Road Extension near University of the Philippines (UP), Baguio, and;
– Tower of Peace; established by the Lion’ Club and the Japanese government and representing friendship and reconciliation between Baguio City and Japan. It is near Sunshine Park, or Baguio City National High School or at the back of Baguio Athletic Bowl. Erected March 10, 1973.
Etched on the stones of the Tower of peace are the words: “Dedicated to world peace and understanding through tourism.”
– Sakura Park in Atok, Benguet. It showcases a stunning display of cherry blossom trees, capturing a captivating scene reminiscent of Japan’s sakura season. From months February going to March, the park transforms into a magical wonderland as the blooming cherry trees paint the landscape with tinctures of white and pink.
Sakura Park is officially known as the Benguet-Kochi Sisterhood Park, established in collaboration with Japan as a symbol of sisterhood between Benguet and Kochi prefecture, Japan.
The multi-billion dollar spending of Japanese tourists in the Philippines and other Asian nations contributes to economic development programs of such countries, DOT-CAR hinted.
