Tourism in the Philippines has experienced a significant resurgence, with official data revealing 1.7 million tourist arrivals in the first three months of 2024. This marks a 21.3% increase compared to 2023, with 1.29 million arrivals.
The rise in arrival numbers during the first quarter of this year is expected to help the country reach pre-pandemic tourism levels before the end of 2024. The Department of Tourism is intensifying its global tourism campaign, expanding its reach to more cities worldwide, including the Middle East, and launching a nationwide effort to boost Halal tourism.
According to the latest tourism statistics, South Korean tourists remain the top visitors to the Philippines, accounting for 27.59% of the total arrivals. In the first quarter of 2024, 458,619 South Koreans visited the country, a slight increase from last year. The United States is in second place with 264,690 tourist arrivals, representing a 15.92% share of the total arrivals. This is a 4.36% increase from the first quarter of 2023. China is third with 109,568 arrivals, accounting for 6.59% of the total visitors, a significant increase of 149.9% from last year. Japan is in fourth place with 109,347 arrivals, representing 6.34% of the total visitors, a 63.21% increase from the first quarter of 2023. Australia came in fifth with 67,634 arrivals, accounting for 4.07% of the total visitors. However, this is a 3.75% drop from the first quarter of 2023, when 70,266 Australians visited the Philippines.
Due to solid transport connections, the Philippines, known for its affordability and diverse offerings, is expected to experience an increase in regional tourist arrivals. Fitch Solutions predicts that foreign visitor levels will return to pre-pandemic numbers, with arrivals estimated to reach 8.21 million by the end of 2024. The Department of Tourism has set a more conservative target of 7.7 million tourist arrivals for this year. In 2023, the Philippines welcomed over 5.45 million foreign visitors, surpassing its projection of 4.9 million for the year.