As measured by the share of tourism direct gross value added (TDGVA) to total gross domestic product (GDP), the contribution of tourism industry to the economy was estimated at 6.0 percent in 2012.

It averaged 5.9 percent during the years 2000-2012. The TDGVA, an indicator which measures the value added of different industries in response to activities of both domestic and inbound visitors, amounted to PhP 631.1 billion in 2012, higher by 10.3 percent than in the previous year’s PhP 572.2 billion. The share of tourism, which cuts across different sectors of the economy, is higher than some of the core sectors in the 2012 national accounts, namely: construction (5.9 percent), public administration and defense (4.3 percent), electricity, gas and water supply (3.5 percent), and mining and quarrying (1.1 percent).

The TDGVA estimate is based on the latest results of the Philippine Tourism Satellite Account (PTSA) which also provides information on tourism expenditure and employment. The following are the other key results from PTSA: Inbound tourism expenditure, which refers to the expenditure of non-resident visitors (foreign visitors and Filipinos permanently residing abroad) within the Philippines, continued to increase as it posted double-digit growth of 28.7 percent in 2012, amounting to PhP 160.2 billion from PhP 124.5 billion in 2011.

• Inbound tourism expenditure, which represents 4.9 percent of the country’s total exports in 2012, is the third leading exports of the country after electronic components (29.3 percent) and miscellaneous services, which includes business process outsourcing (26.9 percent).
   
• Accommodation, food and beverage, and shopping topped the list of consumption products among inbound tourists, with shares of 28.9 percent, 25.6 percent and 23.2 percent, respectively, to the total expenditure.
   
• Domestic tourism expenditure, which includes expenditure of resident visitors within the country either as domestic trip or part of an international trip, grew largely by 15.2 percent, from PhP 575.1 billion in 2011 to PhP 662.7 billion in 2012. Domestic tourism expenditure represents 8.5 percent of the household final consumption expenditure (HFCE) in the 2012 national accounts.
   
• Employment in tourism characteristic industries was estimated at 4.2 million in 2012, higher by 10.4 percent from previous year’s 3.8 million. Share of employment in tourism industries to total employment in the country was recorded at 11.3 percent compared to 10.3 percent in 2011.

The PTSA is compiled by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) in collaboration with the Department of Tourism and the NSCB Inter-Agency Committee on Tourism Statistics. 

CANDIDO J. ASTROLOGO, JR.
Officer-in-Charge Office of the Secretary General