By Roderick T. dela Cruz

INTERNATIONAL visitor arrivals in Cebu grew 5 percent to 36,653 in January from a year ago, led by tourists from China, Hong Kong, Russia and India, the Tourism Department said yesterday.

Arrivals from China soared 204 percent, and from Hong Kong 163 percent, as the Chinese trooped to the island in time for the Lunar New Year, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said.

The number of Russians and Indians flying to Cebu directly rose 133 percent and 108 percent, respectively, the same month, he said, adding the increase was due to the affordable cost of flying to and staying in Cebu, its friendly culture and quick visa processing.

?We are strong on all three factors,? Durano said.

?We have value-for-money packages, pervasive Chinese influences and visa-upon-arrival for tourists.?

Nine chartered flights to Cebu from Shanghai also boosted Chinese arrivals in January, Durano said, adding the island also got a lift from the long-staying Russians and Indians.

?Russian visitors come over during their winter period to stay an average of 12 to 15 days to soak up the sun, shop and try out our adventure tours,? Durano said.

?The holidaymakers from India stay for an average of 20 days, spending currency on shopping, entertainment and sightseeing.?

Durano was optimistic international visitor arrivals would continue to grow despite the global downturn.

?Instead of a deep reversal of the gains we have achieved in the past four years, we are preserving and continuing to build on these gains,? he said, adding the Pacific Asia Travel Association was equally bullish on the Philippines.

?Based on their research, the Philippines will be the one of the few destinations that will be stable and achieve some positive growth this year,? Durano said.

?This outlook, of course, can change if even the growth markets we have tapped will also suffer deep economic downturn.?

Earlier, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, a presidential economic adviser, said the tourism and business process outsourcing industries were the most vulnerable to the deepening effects of the global slowdown.

He said 93 percent of the foreign tourists visiting the Philippines were coming from countries that are either in recession or about to enter one.

Durano agreed, but said his department had long ago started tapping other markets to fill the void.

?What we are doing this year is to maximize available opportunities, and we will leave no stone unturned,? Durano said.

?Only through the eyes of an optimist that opportunities are discovered in the worse of situations.?

The Philippines has been drawing over three million foreign visitors for the past two years, and though the global economic downturn threatens those numbers, Durano was optimistic foreign arrivals would still reach three million this year.