Foreign arrivals in the Philippines declined 7 percent in February, totaling 541,008, as the number of tourists from South Korea—the country’s primary market—continued its sharp slide.
In spite of a weaker South Korean market, data from the Department of Tourism still showed foreign arrivals for the January-February period eking a growth of 0.96 percent, reaching a total 1.17 million. This growth was driven by double-digit increases in visitors from the US, Japan, Australia, and Canada.
South Korean tourists totaled 132,732 in February, a 14 percent drop from the same month last year—double the decline seen in January. Despite this, South Korean visitors still accounted for a quarter of total arrivals in the first two months of 2025, although the overall number dropped 11 percent to 294,652.
Meanwhile, arrivals from China plunged 35 percent to 53,250 in the first two months of the year due to stricter visa requirements, a result of escalating tensions over the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines also imposed a ban on overseas gaming operations, many of which were linked to China.
On a positive note, visitor numbers from the US rose 12 percent to 206,848, while Japanese arrivals also increased by 12 percent to 75,245. Australian tourists surged 19 percent to 56,926, and Canadian visitors climbed 17 percent to 56,384.
In 2024, foreign arrivals increased by 9.2 percent, reaching 5.95 million, but still fell short of the target of 7.7 million. While the Department of Tourism has yet to announce its official target for 2025, the 2023-2028 tourism roadmap aims for steady growth, with a projected cumulative tourist arrival of 51.9 million and the creation of 34.7 million jobs over the next six years.
DOT is hopeful that with the restoration of its P500 million marketing and promotional budget and easier visa requirements, more foreign tourists will visit the Philippines.
