Foreign tourist arrivals to the Philippines fell by 2.4 percent in the first nine months of the year, reaching 4.33 million, according to data from the Department of Tourism. The decline was largely driven by a sharp drop in visitors from South Korea and China.
South Korea, the country’s top source of tourists, has seen reduced outbound travel amid ongoing political unrest. Meanwhile, arrivals from China have continued to fall following the Philippine government’s crackdown on illegal offshore gaming operations last year.
South Korean arrivals dropped 20 percent year-on-year to 955,699 between January and September, accounting for 22 percent of total foreign visitors. Chinese arrivals fell even more steeply—by 22 percent—to 202,738, representing just 4.7 percent of the total.
The slump in East Asian arrivals more than offset growth in other markets. American visitors increased by 7.2 percent to 744,998, while arrivals from Japan and Australia climbed by 17 percent and 16 percent respectively, to 344,523 and 217,209. The U.S., Japan, and Australia now represent 17 percent, 8 percent, and 5 percent of the market share, respectively.
With only three months left in the year—and a series of natural disasters further impacting travel—it now seems unlikely the Philippines will reach its 2025 target of 8.4 million visitors, or even the 2024 goal of 7.7 million that was missed.
