Philippines

The Department of Tourism (DOT) said in 2024, the Philippines welcomed 5.95 million tourists, of which 5.44 million are international tourists and 510,383 are overseas Filipinos. The arrivals in 2024 were +9.15% YoY but -28% pre-pandemic levels. Overseas Filipino arrivals recorded +14.16% YoY but foreign tourists only recorded +8.7% YoY due to a slow recovery in Chinese tourists. Tourism receipts however recorded 760 billion PHP, +41% of pre-pandemic levels. The Tourism Secretary said these numbers show strong growth in the tourism industry. DOT plans to revise its NTDP 2023-2028 in 2025 due to missing its 7.7 million arrivals target in 2024. DOT data shows only tourist arrivals from Singapore, Canada, and Australia reached pre-pandemic levels while other countries recorded double-digit drops. The top countries are; - South Korea with 1.57 million tourists, -21% of pre-pandemic levels - the US, 947,891 (-11%) - Japan with 388,316 (-43%) - China 312,222 (-82%) - Australia, 272,215 (-4.9%) - Canada 223,944 (-6.2%) - Taiwan 208,736 (-36%) - the UK 160,296 (-23.4%) - Singapore 157,264 (-0.84%) - Malaysia 95,713 (-32%) - Germany 79,886 (-23%) - Hong Kong 79,276 (-13.5%) Compared to 2023, only Japan and China in the top 12 source countries recorded significant increases at 27% and 18.04% respectively. Outside the top 12 list, a few countries made double-digit increases such as; - India, 78,995, +12.4% YoY - France 60,743 (+17.7% YoY) - Spain 46,146 (+35.47% YoY) - Thailand 45,896 (+12% YoY) - the UAE, 40,026 (+18.53% YoY) - Italy 29,943 (+33% YoY)

Chief of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) reported that the Philippines generated 111.3 billion PHP in sales leads through travel events in 2024, +45% YoY. The majority, at 918 million PHP, were acquired at global travel fairs, such as ITB Berlin and the World Travel Market in London. The Philippines recorded 463.33 million PHP in sales leads at the ASEAN Tourism Forum, +8.4% YoY

The Tourism Secretary said that the Philippines ranks fifth in terms of Japanese nationals’ preferred destination to learn English as a second language (ESL). Department of Tourism (DOT)-Region 7 said Cebu received 50,000 ESL students annually, including Japanese, South Koreans, and Vietnamese, among others

The Commission on Audit (COA) flagged “unnecessary” foreign travel expenses incurred by Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) officials in 2023. TPB’s foreign travel spending increased 57% YoY in 2023. Several TPB executives, who incurred 3.74 million PHP in travel expenses, were tagged in audit observations. Seven TPB officials also spent 890,500 PHP when they attended the World Travel Market in London in Nov 2023

The Department of Tourism (DOT) announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) titled “Cooperating for a Future with Hope in Tourism”, in response to the Oriental Mindoro oil spill crisis in 2023. Through the partnership, DOT will host alternative livelihood training programmes to emergency- or disaster-hit tourism front-liners. DSWD will include affected tourism workers among those on the priority list for cash transfers, cash for work, and training for cash initiatives

The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) presented a proposed cooperation agreement at the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2025, looking to strengthen partnership with Malaysia in promoting Muslim-friendly and sustainable tourism. The partnership is expected to focus on aligning Halal tourism standards, exchanging market strategies, and expanding opportunities in MICE tourism. Other initiatives include improving tourism infrastructure and simplifying travel processes

Economic Planning Secretary said the Philippines remains one of the top-performing economies in Asia even though it fell short of the 2024 target. The country’s GDP grew by 5.8% from Q1-Q3 2024, lower than the 6.5%-8% target. In 2023, the Philippines' 5.6% GDP outpaced China (5.2%), Vietnam (5%), and Malaysia (3.8%)

Chef Gordon Ramsay is looking to add 3 restaurants in the Philippines after the success of his restaurant in Newport World Resorts

The Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu launched the 2025 Very Important Pinoy (VIP) Tour for US tourists who want to visit the Philippines. The project is led by the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC. The 2025 VIP Tour will be held on 6-15 Jul and will bring participants to Manila, Laoag in Ilocos Norte, Vigan in Ilocos Sur, and Puerto Princesa in Palawan. There will also be a new VIP Next Gen Tour, which caters to a more active lifestly. The tour will visit Manila, Siargao, and Puerto Princesa

Negros Oriental’s tourism arrival in 2024 reached 700,000 surpassing the government’s 500,000 target

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the Philippines will remain under La Nina alert until the Feb-Apr season

Agoda pledged $1.5 million USD for conservation projects in Asia. Agoda launched its 4th Eco Deals program in partnership with the WWF. With every booking at a participating hotel, Agoda will donate $1 USD towards WWF’s conservation efforts. The program will be available from 20 Jan-19 Dec. The fund supports; - tiger conservation in Malaysia - whale sharks protection in the Philippines - elephants conservation in Thailand - safeguarding saolas in Vietnam - ecosystems restoration in Indonesia - urban wetlands development in Laos - supporting rangers in Cambodia

The Department of Tourism (DOT) said they are pushing for better visa policies for Indian tourists to attract more tourists. In 2024, 5 million Indian tourists visited Southeast Asia but the Philippines only welcomed 79,000 tourists, which was already +12.8% YoY. The Tourism Secretary said the Philippines has the potential to attract more Indian tourists for wedding tourism and diving

The Clark Development Corporation (CDC) said they are not looking for new owners for Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino after the current operator was issued with a cease-and-desist order (CDO). The park has 2,000 active members

The Philippines will host the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026 in Cebu, Manila, and Boracay in 2026. The Tourism Secretary accepted the chairmanship of the ATF 2026 during a ceremonial handover held at the Johor International Convention Center on 20 Jan. The Philippines will take over ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026. The ASEAN Tourism Minister’s Meeting will be held in Cebu in Jan 2026

The Philippines is looking to work with Malaysia in various tourism sectors including Muslim-friendly tourism, MICE, wellness, and culture to exchange experiences and knowledge, signing an MoU. The Malaysian Tourism Minister also met with the Cambodian Tourism Minister to discuss the proposal for a joint working group establishment to implement an MoU signed in 2019

The Philippine Department of Tourism and the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports extended their tourism development cooperation with the signing of the Implementation Program of the Agreement on Cooperation on Tourism on 19 Jan, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2025. The programme will run from 2025-2030 and will focus on strengthening travel facilitation, enhancing research and development, and improving tourism management and operations; exchange of best practices; talent development; exchange of officials and staff delegation; and joint tourism promotions and marketing

Around 4 million people gathered to take part in various activities on 19 Jan for Sinulog 2025 in Cebu City, exceeding the 2024 numbers of 2.5-3 million people. Police said the festival remained peaceful and orderly

The Department of Tourism (DOT) said “no one will be left behind” under the agency’s effort to modernise and make the Philippines more accessible to tourists. DOT will partner with Klook to offer access for tourism stakeholders, including travel agents and tour operators, to Klook’s users. Under the partnership, curated travel and tour packages will be developed through the Philippine Experience Program (PEP) covering Ilocos, Bicol, Calabarzon, Western Visayas, and Palawan. Klook will offer airport transfers and day tours at Clark and Mactan-Cebu Airports

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has said that China continues to be an important source market for the Philippines, despite “prevalent” geopolitics

The Great Boracay Gateway from 15 Jan-15 Feb will offer exclusive travel deals and perks from more than 30 hotels, F&B, and wellness providers. This event is an effort by the Boracay MICE Alliance

Klook Philippines and the Department of Tourism (DOT) have signed an MoU and Strategic Alliance to feature top Philippine Experience Program destinations on the Klook website, as well as the Tourist Rest Areas into the site. Klook also plans to have a presence at regional roadshows at major tourism hubs like Mactan-Cebu International Airport and Clark International Airport

The Bolinao Tourism Office said the town in Pangasinan recorded 744,430 tourist arrivals in 2024, +17% YoY. Among the tourists, 511,846 were day tourists and 232,584 were overnight tourists. The tourists were from; - Ilocos Region, 249,175 visitors - Central Luzon, 84,829 - National Capital Region, 67,719 - Calabarzon, 15,359 - Cordillera Administrative Region, 13,255 The town recorded its peak season in Apr 2024 with 121,411 tourists. The top visited destinations in 2024 were; - Bolinao Falls, 148,902 visitors - Balingasay River, 144,660 visitors - Cape Bolinao Lighthouse, 85,884 - Patar White Beach, 65,023 - Bolinao Caves, 49,990 visitors - Camp Puor, 13,849 - River Village, 3,118 visitors

The Department of Tourism (DOT) said the tourists are spending 11 nights on average in the Philippines compared to 9 nights in 2019. Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines CEO said the tourists are spending $2,073 USD per arrival and over 70% of tourists are repeat visitors

Davao Travel Agents Association President said the travel industry recorded a surge of tourists in 2024 attributed to increased aircraft availability and frequent flights. He said the airlines' daily schedules are almost full. Davao International Airport (DIA) recorded +15% YoY passenger arrivals and the trend is expected to continue in 2025

The Philippines President ordered the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to restore the 400 million PHP branding budget for the Department of Tourism (DOT) “to sustain the momentum” the Philippines already has in the international scene. The funding will be sourced from the Office of the President’s contingency fund

Dusit Thani Philippines Inc signed hotel management agreements with IDC Prime, a subsidiary of Italpinas Development Corp, to manage Dusit Princess Firenze and Dusit Princess Moena hotels in Northern Mindanao. Both hotels will be opened in late 2029

Jobstreet by SEEK Philippines published a study called “Decoding Global Talent Report: GenAI Edition”. The study found that 40% of Filipino employees are willing to spend time learning new skills at least once a week. The portal also urged employers to upskill their workforce to retain talent

The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines and the Department of Tourism (DOT) will participate in the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) from 15 Jan in Johor Bahru, Malaysia

The Department of Tourism (DOT) will promote the Philippines in key markets. The Tourism Secretary said they will continue the global campaign for ‘Love the Philippines’ (LVP) in the US, Europe, Asia, and even the Middle East. In 2024, DOT awarded 273 million PHP in projects in branding and marketing. CTV Corporate Television Inc received the largest at 96 million PHP

1.8 million members of the Christian group Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) protested in Manila against the impeachment cases filed against Vice President Sara Duterte. The group also staged protests in 12 cities

The Philippines is focusing on the wellness efforts on the Filipino traits of malasakit (compassionate care), and aruga (care and nurture). The Philippines is looking beyond Asia Pacific to luxury buyers in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. In 2024, the Philippines welcomed 200,000 guests for health and wellness tourism

Philippines recorded 383,719 Japanese tourists in 2024, +27% YoY

Camiguin Province recorded 288,588 tourists in 2024, +37% YoY. The province recorded 269,981 domestic tourists mainly from Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Gingoog, Bukidnon, Butuan City, and Davao City. Foreign tourists totalled 18,577, mostly from France, Germany, the UK, and Spain

The PHP may drop below 59PHP:1USD mark in Q2 2025. HSBC Global Research economist said this trend is likely to continue in 2025 due to protectionist policies from President-elect Trump. The economist said PHP is likely to be more resilient and will not drop to 60 PHP:1 USD anytime soon >> 8 Jan: Trafalgar CEO said Filipino travellers are prioritising meaningful and enriching travel experiences. Trafalgar also found that Filipinos prefer: slow travel with longer stays, with a 6% increase in popularity of Filipinos choosing to stay longer than 10 days. local towns and secondary cities such as Matera, Italy and Normandy, France solo travel as more Filipinos seek personal growth multi-generational family travel The report found that the top 5 preferred destinations are Spain, Egypt, Scandinavia, Switzerland, and France

Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu said Cebu City recorded 80%-100% occupancy rate around Ayala Center for the Sinulog 2025. Other hotels recorded 70%-80% occupancy rate. The Sinulog ritual will be held on 19 Jan with 45 contingents

Baguio Mayor said more tourists opted for the bus to travel to the city during the Christmas and New Year holidays. He said Victory Liner recorded 900 round trips in Dec 2024, up from 800 last year. Residents are expected to face heavy traffic from 1 Feb in conjunction with the Baguio Flower Festival

In Nov 2024, the unemployment rate dropped to 3.2% with 1.66 million jobless Filipinos, from 3.6% in Nov 2023. The underemployment rate dropped from 10.8% to 5.35 million in Nov 2024 vs 12.6% in Oct. Wholesale and retail industry recorded the largest increase in employment since Oct 2024 with 746,000 jobs

Baguio City launched the 29th staging of the Baguio Flower Festival (Panagbenga) under the theme of “Blossom Beyond Boundaries”. The event will start on 1 Feb. In conjunction with the event, a few parades will be held, such as the Grand Street Dancing parade on 22 Feb and the Grand Float Parade on 23 Feb. “Session Road in Bloom” will be held before the closing ceremonies on 2 Mar

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the inflation rate reached 2.9% in Dec 2024. The average inflation rate in 2024 reached 3.2%, within the government’s 2%-4% target. Dec 2024 recorded 3rd straight month with increasing inflation. Transport fares contributed to the increase in inflation rate in Dec 2024. Sea travel recorded 71.9% increase in Dec 2024 vs 17.1% in Nov 2024 due to holidays

The Traslacion of the Jesus Nazareno in Manila is expected to attract 6 million attendees on 9 Jan. Philippine National Police will deploy 12,000 personnel from 8 Jan for security. The event will be held from 7-9 Jan