By Bernadette H. Carreon
Horizon news staff

Tourist arrivals in year 2006, increased by over 2 percent compared to the tourist influx in year 2005.
According to statistic of visitor arrivals from the Statistics Office of the Palau Visitors Authority (PVA) there were 82,397 visitors in 2006 compared to the 80,578 tourists coming to Palau in 2005.
Taiwan topped the market of visitors coming to Palau with 28,449 visitors in 2006 but decreased compared to the 34,101 tourists from the same country visiting the country in 2005.
The Japan market came in next recording a 26,892 arrivals, an increase compared to 2005’s 26,281 visitors.
The Korean market posted the high increase in tourist arrivals with over 400 percent improvement of 11,756 arrivals in 2006 compared to 2,292 in 2005.
The Korean tourists made the top three market in 2006 according to the statistics.
The US Mainland tourists are top four with 5,922 visitors while the Guam market with 2,039 was in the top five.
Micronesia had a record of 1,437 visitors; Philippines, 1,430; Europe with 665; Australia/New Zealand with 596; Germany with 514; Hong Kong with 392 and Italy with 344.
The December statistics meanwhile showed a 23.72 percent increase compared to the same month in 2005.
December posted 7,882 visitors as compared to only 6,371 arrivals in Dec. 2005.
The Japan market was the top market in December with 3,182 visitors, second was Taiwan with 2,084 arrivals and the third highest arrivals are from Korea with 1,358.