The figure was up 9.1 per cent in year-on-year terms.
The Philippines.- The Department of Tourism (DOT) has reported that the Philippines received 626,900 tourist arrivals in January. That’s an increase of 9.1 per cent when compared to last year.
South Korea remained the biggest source market, accounting for 25.9 per cent of arrivals (162,505). However, the figure was down 7 per cent when compared to last year. The United States was the second-biggest source market with 123,094 arrivals (20 per cent). The figure was up 18.7 per cent.
There were 36,754 arrivals from Australia, up 22.1 per cent in year-on-year terms, while Japan ranked fourth, with 35,658 arrivals (up 9.9 per cent). There were 35,265 arrivals from Canada, up 21.4 per cent, and 31,086 from China, down 7.2 per cent.
In 2024, the Philippines received 5.44 million tourist arrivals. That’s an increase of 8.7 per cent. Some 91.4 per cent of arrivals were foreign tourists, including Filipinos residing overseas.
Analysts at Maybank Securities have forecast that tourism in the Philippines could fully recover to 2019 pre-pandemic levels in 2025. Analyst Ronalyn Joyce Lalimo said ongoing infrastructure improvements, including airport upgrades, could also help boost tourism from markets like South Korea, the United States, Japan, and Australia, which have strong historical and cultural connections with the Philippines.
Maybank highlighted e-visa services for Chinese and Indian visitors. Meanwhile, 43 projects underway under the Build Better More programme include five airport upgrades, including Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and the New Manila International Airport. These will enhance capacity, with the new NAIA expected to handle 62 million passengers annually, up from 35 million.
Meanwhile, a new value-added tax (VAT) refund programme for foreign visitors, allowing refunds on purchases over PHP3,000 at approved stores, is likely to increase tourism spending.
