I could not believe it when travel photographer Karlo de Leon told me that Manila was number 5 in the list of top international travel destinations for 2007 according to Yahoo! Travel. Was that for real?! So I checked out the site and found this article. Amazing indeed! What do you think about the news? But I also noticed they didn't spell Philippines right! Anyway, here's the short article:
Where Are Travelers Heading In 2007?
By Katherine Tom, Senior Editor, Yahoo! Travel
December 20, 2006
Curious where travelers are headed in the coming year? We took a look at the most popular searches on Yahoo! FareChase to see which cities folks are flocking to in 2007. On the domestic list, perennial travel favorite Las Vegas shows no signs of ceding the top spot, while sunny Florida dominates the rest of the list, with five out of the top 10 searches.
We did note a few surprises on the international list, including the appearance of Frankfurt and Manila in the top 5. Visitors rave about Frankfurt's shopping and architecture, while Manila attracts budget travelers looking for beaches and nightlife. Of course, more traditional travel destinations like Paris and Rome made the list as well, placing at 7th and 8th respectively.
Top International Travel Searches - 2007
1. London, United Kingdom
2. Cancun, Mexico
3. Frankfurt, Germany
4. San Juan, Puerto Rico
5. Manila, Phillipines (sic)
6. Bangkok, Thailand
7. Paris, France
8. Rome, Italy
9. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
10. Amsterdam, Netherlands
I am not surprise that Philippines is climbing up the charts for most visited spot. Philippines is a tourist dream. Philippines is a merge of tranquil nature escapes for ecologist, trekkers and sun lovers as well as endless nightlife and shopping sensation for the not so outdoor types. Entrepreneurs are steadily visiting Philippines for raw materials and ideas for export and import business. The technology market is also rising in the Philippines which bring steady flow of small business owners. Business is good in Philippines these past few years and this steady rise in market and tourism is surely adding luster to our little Pearl of The Orient. It's your time to shine Pearl!
ReplyDeleteWow! This is REALLY amazing and good news! To be honest I can hardly believe it. Manila before Paris! WOW Philippines!
ReplyDeleteLet's hope all of this is true!
I agree with Missnt. It's your time to shine Pearl!
within the past year, i hosted two foreigners at different times (1 New Zealander and 1 American) who stepped in the Philippines for the first time.
ReplyDeletethese two are seasoned travellers and have been in most countries both in europe and in asia. i was quite surprised that their destination of choice, hands down, is our country. i couldn't explain it either! i thought they were bluffing, but there was such sincerity in their statements.
it could be our friendly, warm, and smiling people. it could also be the fact that we are mostly English-speakers so it's easy for them to communicate. and of course, the natural resources! the pristine beaches, the rice terraces, hill stations, caves, waterfalls!
i'm glad people are coming. =D
This is such a refreshing news. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteim really hoping that manila would progress in tourism and in marketing. this is a great chance to see that we also have what it takes to be known all throughout the world.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone! Yes, I'm glad too. I will be touring around a Chinese friend for two weeks in March. So expect a lot of blog entries! Hehe!
ReplyDeletewell, searching and researching about manila is one thing...actually visiting is another. i really hope they come :)
ReplyDelete[...] This may be a little late, but thanks to Ivan, the Pinoy in me was awaken. [...]
ReplyDeleteCould it be OFWs missing home, and doing a search on Yahoo?
ReplyDeleteNot surprising at all to someone who frequents travels sites (try virtualtourist.com). But the feeling of awe and pride about it is always fresh. I'm proud of the Philippines... now I hope the authorities and most importantly the citizens themselves wake up and realize it can't be like that forever. So no to corruption, to irresponsible garbage disposal, to over-modernization and structure building in tourist sites!!! To Ivan, thanks for sharing and Mabuhay!
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