Tourists staying longer in Philippines, says immigration bureau

MANILA, Philippines—Despite the travel advisories against the Philippines, the government has registered a 34-percent increase in the number of foreigners who asked to be allowed to stay longer in the country, Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. said Tuesday.

David said that from January to July this year, the BI visa extension office processed and approved a total of 81,287 applications for extension of stay by foreign tourists.

This was 20,804 more (or 34 percent higher) than the 60,483 extensions of stay that were granted during the same period in 2010.

“It appears that foreign visitors become more attracted to our country after arriving here to the extent that many of them would decide to prolong their stay instead of leaving before the lapse of their authorized initial stay or visa,” David said in a statement.

He said BI records showed that tourist visa extensions were highest in January and July when more than 13,000 applications.

BI-Visa Extension Office chief Rodelio Sapian said non-visa required foreign tourists were allowed to stay for 21 days while visa-required nationals are granted an initial stay of 59 days.

“All of them may extend their sojourn in the Philippines before the lapse of their authorized visit so long as they do not violate the conditions of their stay and pay the required extension fees to the bureau,” Sapian explained.

The Department of Tourism earlier reported that tourist arrivals reached more than 1.3 million during the first four months of the year, or an increase of 13.33 percent vis-à-vis the 1,153,198 who came in the same period in 2010.

The DOT said tourists from East Asia, notably South Korea and Taiwan, accounted for the bulk of the foreign visitors.

Visitors from the US and Canada accounted for the second biggest slice of the tourist arrivals while those from Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries ranked third.