The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has recently released the results of their 2022 Household Survey on Domestic Visitors, revealing a surprising inclusion: the Province of South Cotabato has been named one of the top 10 destinations for domestic travelers in the Philippines.
According to the PSA report released on May 14, 2024, South Cotabato, also known as the "Land of the Dreamweavers," accounted for 3.2 percent of total domestic leisure trips in the country in 2022, securing the 8th spot on the list. This recognition highlights the province's growing appeal as a leisure and vacation destination for local tourists.
Cebu and South Cotabato are the only destinations outside Luzon to make it to the top 10. The National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila remains the top destination, accounting for 10.4 percent of domestic leisure trips, followed by Pangasinan with 6.4 percent. Other top destinations for local tourists in 2022 included Benguet, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, Albay, and Rizal.
The PSA noted a significant increase in domestic travel from 2021 to 2022, attributed to the lifting of COVID-19-related restrictions in February 2022. Despite this increase, 60.9 percent of Filipinos aged 15 years and above did not travel within the country in 2022.
For those who did travel, vacations and leisure trips saw a notable rise compared to 2021, when the pandemic was at its peak. Most domestic travelers preferred staying with relatives or friends over resorts and hotels.
In terms of outbound travel, over 113,000 Filipinos aged 15 years and above traveled abroad in 2022, with Singapore emerging as the top destination.
The inclusion of South Cotabato in the top 10 domestic travel destinations points out the province's vibrant tourism offerings and its potential to attract even more visitors in the coming years.
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