2,300 Chinese media in PHL to promote tourism

Some 2, 300 members of the Chinese media and their families have arrived in this resort island for a sortie as they traveled through the MS Costa Atlantica Tuesday morning.

Tim Ticar, officer in charge of the Department of Tourism, said that the Chinese media on board the Cruise Ship came from Shanghai, China. Before Boracay, the delegates came from Metro Manila.

After their Boracay sortie for several hours, they are expected to resume their voyage via South Korea and Okinawa, Japan.

"We hope that the visit of the Chinese media here would produce positive promotion for Boracay," said Ticar, adding that Chinese media may came from print, broadcast, bloggers and television.

Ticar said that the visit of the Chinese media here will be a big boost to the promotion of Boracay tourism. He hopes that Chinese tourists would surpass South Korean tourists for this year.

In January and February this year, Chinese tourists top the foreign tourism arrivals with 52, 740 while South Korean tourists registered 40, 511.

Boracay is considered by the Chinese as top 16th favorite romantic tourists destination.