Visitor arrivals in the Philippines surged 9.1 percent year-on-year to 626,900 in January 2025, marking the first time since the pandemic that arrivals breached the 600,000 mark in a single month, according to data from the Department of Tourism (DoT).
This growth represents a significant recovery, considering the drastic decline in global travel during the pandemic, and auspicious start for the DoT which is aiming to a record number of foreign arrivals this year.
January 2020, just weeks before the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, saw the Philippines achieve its highest-ever monthly tourist arrivals of 796,164, a figure that had been seen as a milestone following the record 8.26 million foreign tourists in 2019.
The strong performance in January 2025 was largely driven by a double-digit increase in arrivals from the US, Australia, Canada, and Taiwan. These gains more than offset the decline in tourists from South Korea, which remains the country’s largest source of visitors. South Korea’s tourist numbers fell by 6.9 percent to 162,505 in January, but it still accounted for a quarter of all foreign arrivals during the month.
Despite challenges, the DoT remains optimistic about the tourism sector’s prospects in 2025. The department has set an ambitious target of 8.3 million visitors, aiming to surpass pre-pandemic record, although it missed its 2024 goal of 7.7 million. In 2024, foreign arrivals totaled 5.95 million, underscoring the uneven recovery in the sector.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco highlighted the positive momentum for the industry, especially with inbound tourism expenditures hitting a record high of P760.5 billion in 2024, a 9 percent increase from 2023, despite the shortfall in visitor numbers.
Notably, of the top 10 source countries for tourists, only South Korea and China showed declines in January. While South Korea remained a dominant source of visitors, arrivals from China dropped 7.2 percent, raising questions about the impact of the government’s ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, predominantly run by Chinese nationals.
On the positive side, the US saw a 19 percent jump in arrivals to 123,094, accounting for nearly 20 percent of all foreign tourists. Australia recorded a 22 percent increase to 36,754, while Taiwan saw a remarkable 48 percent surge to 25,142. Japan’s arrivals rose 9.9 percent, while Canada and the UK saw significant increases, with arrivals up 21 percent and 17 percent, respectively. Even Hong Kong, with a 49 percent rise, emerged as a surprising contributor to the positive trend.
