NSCB - 2003 Factsheet - Southern Luzon…The Region Most Visited by Domestic Travelers

Southern Luzon…The Region Most Visited by Domestic Travelers

(FS-200310-ES4-01, posted 12 November 2003)

Southern Luzon... The Region Most Visited by Domestic Travelers The Southern Luzon Region (Region IV), comprising the provinces of Aurora, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Marinduque, Palawan, Quezon, Rizal, and Romblon continued to attract more domestic visitors compared to the other regions in the country. Between the period 1999 and 2002, Region IV hosted about 31 percent of the country’s total domestic visitors as shown in Chart 1 below. The second most visited region is the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) catering to 13 percent of the total domestic visitors in the country. Central Visayas (Region VII) placed third, accommodating about 11 percent while Western Visayas (Region 6) and Southern Mindanao (Region X11) respectively, had 7 percent and 6 percent of the total domestic visitors during the period.

Percent Distribution of Regional Travelers
(Average for the Period 1999 to 2002)

Chart

Statistics further show that Southern Luzon Region accommodated a total of 1.106 million domestic visitors in 1999, which went up to 3.146 million (Table 1) in 2000 translating to a whopping 184.5 percent (Table 2) rate of increase. In 2001, the region continued to attract more visitors as a total of 4.484 million domestic visitors went to the region with a bullish growth of 42.5 percent. However, in 2002, visitors in the region decreased by 9.3 percent accounting for a total of 4.065 million during the year.

Table 1: Number of Regional Travelers in the Philippines, 1999-2002

REGION	1999	2000	2001	2002
CAR - Cordillera Admin Region	1,043,431	1,139,372	1,240,125	1,278,251
Region I - Ilocos Region	255,449	289,723	344,709	355,575
Region II - Cagayan Valley	476,259	443,770	545,064	582,528
Region III - Central Luzon	253,972	234,359	262,430	423,189
Region IV - Southern Luzon	1,106,174	3,146,912	4,483,874	4,065,265
Region V - Bicol	340,743	356,724	367,856	389,718
Region VI - Western Visayas	560,884	570,898	629,243	836,395
Region VII - Central Visayas	930,686	1,005,071	1,013,711	1,063,398
Region VIII - Eastern Visayas	116,147	135,637	175,027	175,467
Region IX - Western Mindanao	271,635	243,866	233,103	200,691
Region X - Northern Mindanao	591,630	546,208	506,066	550,709
Region XI - Southern Mindanao	586,051	560,957	638,865	540,359
Region XII - Central Mindanao	235,307	203,682	317,765	425,174
Region XIII - Caraga	244,039	252,006	280,165	277,306
TOTAL	7,012,407	9,129,185	11,038,003	11,164,025

Source: Tourism Research and Statistics Division (TRSD), Department of Tourism (DOT).

Table 2 demonstrates the gainers on the number of domestic visitors that consequently contributed to the 1.1 percent overall increase of regional travelers in 2002. Among the top gainers, Central Luzon (Region III) exhibited the highest increase in 2002, which was recorded at a hefty rate of 61.3 percent. Central Mindanao (Region XII) followed accounting for a 33.8 percent growth and Western Visayas (Region VI) with 32.9 percent. Table 2 also shows that Southern Luzon (Region IV), Western Mindanao (Region IX), Southern Mindanao (Region XI), and Caraga suffered declines in domestic travel.

Table 2: Regional Travelers in the Philippines, 1999-2002

REGION	Growth Rates (%)
REGION	99-00	00-01	01-02
CAR - Cordillera Admin Region	9.2	8.8	3.1
Region I - Ilocos Region	13.4	19.0	3.2
Region II - Cagayan Valley	(6.8)	22.8	6.9
Region III - Central Luzon	(7.7)	12.0	61.3
Region IV - Southern Luzon	184.5	42.5	(9.3)
Region V - Bicol	4.7	3.1	5.9
Region VI - Western Visayas	1.8	10.2	32.9
Region VII - Central Visayas	8.0	0.9	4.9
Region VIII - Eastern Visayas	16.8	29.0	0.3
Region IX - Western Mindanao	(10.2)	(4.4)	(13.9)
Region X - Northern Mindanao	(7.7)	(7.3)	8.8
Region XI - Southern Mindanao	(4.3)	13.9	(15.4)
Region XII - Central Mindanao	(13.4)	56.0	33.8
Region XIII - Caraga	3.3	11.2	(1.0)
TOTAL	30.2	20.9	1.1

Source: National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).

In terms of the supply of accommodation both by the DOT accredited and non-accredited establishments, Central Visayas (Region VII) accounted for the most number of accommodation facilities available for domestic visitors (Table 3). In 1999, there were a total of 4,114 rooms available for visitors. This, however, went down to 3,889 rooms in 2002. Southern Mindanao (Region XI) is next to Region VII in terms of the number of rooms available for visitors, followed by Central Luzon (Region III). CAR is fifth in the rank, registering a total of 1,028 rooms in 2002.

Table 3: Average Number of Rooms Available for Visitors, 1999-2002

REGION	1999	2000	2001	2002	Average
CAR - Cordillera Admin Region	1,167	984	1,020	1,028	1,050
Region I - Ilocos Region	636	597	579	575	597
Region II - Cagayan Valley	251	275	387	387	325
Region III - Central Luzon	1,343	1,049	1,258	1,481	1,283
Region IV - Southern Luzon	787	539	539	607	618
Region V - Bicol	668	756	626	484	634
Region VI - Western Visayas	711	921	1,288	1,503	1,106
Region VII - Central Visayas	4,114	4,114	4,092	3,889	4,052
Region VIII - Eastern Visayas	479	548	536	606	542
Region IX - Western Mindanao	820	791	837	619	767
Region X - Northern Mindanao	738	819	801	-	786
Region XI - Southern Mindanao	2,058	2,060	1,407	1,574	1,775
Region XII - Central Mindanao	131	133	109	144	129
Region XIII - Caraga	380	374	369	432	389
TOTAL	14,283	13,960	13,848	13,329	14,052

Source: Tourism Research and Statistics Division (TRSD), Department of Tourism (DOT).

Note: "-" = data not available as no report was submitted to TRSD-DOT.

For inquiries, please contact:

Ms. Lea H. Amoro at telephone number 896-7981 or through e-mail addresses lh.amoro@nscb.gov.ph