Manila, July 10 (CNA) The number of Taiwanese visiting the Philippines in the first five months of 2017 rose 20 percent from the previous year, making Taiwan the Philippines' sixth largest source of overseas visitors, according to the latest Philippine Department of Tourism data.
The figures showed that the Philippines had 2.88 million overseas visitor arrivals from January to May, up 14.4 percent year-on-year, with East Asia accounting for 1.49 million, or just over half, of them.
South Korea remained the largest source of visitors, totaling 686,630 arrivals in the January-May period, or 23.82 percent of the total. It was followed by the United States at 428,767 arrivals, or a 14.87 percent share.
China ranked third with 388,896 visitors, or 13.49 percent of the total, followed by Japan (255,819, 8.87 percent) in fourth.
Though Taiwan had the fifth most visitors in the month of May, it remained sixth behind Australia in the rankings for the first five months with 108,643 visitors, or a 3.77 percent share.
Australia accounted for 112,814, or 3.91 percent of the total.
Rounding out the top 10 were Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Among the top 10 markets, Chinese and Taiwanese visitor arrivals posted the biggest year-on-year growth at 36.29 percent and 20.99 percent, respectively, due in part to warming relations between Manila and Beijing and Taiwan's new policy to focus more on relations with Southeast and South Asia.
