The number of tourists from key regions in the world who came to the Philippines last year grew by not less than 10 percent, records of the Department of Tourism show.

From January to November 2005, tourist arrivals from Asia increased by 18.6 percent compared to the same period in the same period in 2004.

Tourist arrivals from East Asia rose by 15 percent; South Asia 13.9 percent; Middle East, 18.2 percent; North America, 10.7 percent; South America, 13.1 percent; Western Europe, 12.2 percent; Northern Europe, 13.8 percent; Southern Europe, 14.3 percent; and Eastern Europe, 161.5 percent, records further show.

As part of the DOT campaign to attract more tourists to the country, Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano led a 70-men delegation to the 2006 Internationale Tourismus Borse in Berlin last week.

Durano said in a statement that the exposure and business generated through the DOT's annual participation in international events such as the ITB has proven effective in attracting tourists.

We are very pleased with the turn-out of tourist arrivals last year and we look forward to a bigger increase in arrival figures for this year following our participation in ITB, he said. ITB is a prime travel and tourism market place, which has been known to showcase the development of new tourism ideas, products, services, technology, global approaches and target markets. The yearly event draws 10,000 exhibitors from 180 countries and regions.*

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