International visitor arrivals in the Philippines declined by 0.5 percent in the first quarter, reaching 1.65 million, according to data from the Department of Tourism. This drop was partially offset by a sharp increase in arrivals of overseas Filipinos.
Overseas Filipinos who arrived in the country during the first quarter surged 31 percent to 123,760, accounting for 7.5 percent of total visitor arrivals.
Foreign tourist arrivals in the January-March quarter fell by 2.4 percent, totaling 1.53 million, primarily due to significant drops in arrivals from South Korea and China.
Political unrest in South Korea, the Philippines’ main tourist market, weighed down total arrivals from Asian country, which dropped 14 percent to 395,059.
Meanwhile, arrivals from China plummeted by 34 percent to 72,665, impacted by the suspension of the electronic visa system by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO).
On a positive note, some of the decline was offset by increased visitors from the US, which saw a 7.9 percent increase to 285,597; Japan, which rose 19 percent to 125,083; Australia, up 13 percent to 79,779; and Canada, up 14 percent to 77,390.
Last year, international visitors rose 9.5 percent to 5.95 million, with 5.44 million accounted for by foreigners. The figure, however, was off the target of 7.7 million for 2024.
