Tourist arrivals for 2017 in Palau was down by 13 percent compared to last year’s visitors.
There were 138,426 arrivals in 2016 and 122,566 in 2017.
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For the month of Dec. 2017, visitor arrivals to Palau (excluding residents, students, employments, flight crews and transits) totaled 9,761 representing an increase of 384 compared to Nov. 2017 with 9,377 visitor arrivals.
December visitors from Japan, Korea and USA/Canada showed an increase from last month, Taiwan, China and Europe showed a decrease.
People’s Republic of China (China) continue to be the key market with 4,048 arrivals in Dec. 2017 representing an increase of 555 compared to same month last year with 3,493 arrivals. Choices of carriers for PRC nationals are Palau Pacific Air, Lion Air, China Airlines and Korean Airlines, which sustained number of China passengers.
Japan had 2,880 arrivals in Dec. 2017 represent an increase of 86 compared to same month last year with 2,794 arrivals.
ROC (Taiwan) has 709 arrivals in Dec. 2017 representing a decrease of 81 compared to same month last year with 790 arrivals.
Korea registered 562 arrivals in Dec. 2017 represent a decrease of 633 compared to same month last year with 1,195 arrivals.
North America has 721 arrivals in Dec. 2017 representing a decrease of 36 compared to same month last year with 757 arrivals.
Total Europe including Russia with 457 arrivals in Dec. 2017 represent a decrease of 17 compared to same month last year with 474 arrivals.
In total, there are 57,866 visitors from China with only 29,236 from Japan, and the third is from Taiwan with 13, 934.
Despite the decline in tourist numbers compared to 2016, President Tommy Remengesau told reporters that tourists are spending more despite the drop this is due to revenue collections exceeding target by $3.7 million.
Remengesau told reporters that revenue productivity reflects of its tourism policy of quality over quantity.
“There is more value in quality than value in quantity,” Remengesau added. (By: Bernadette Carreon) [/restrict]