Philippine tourism proved more resilient than raw arrival figures suggest in 2025, cushioning the economy and protecting jobs despite mounting global and domestic pressures. The Department of Tourism (DOT) reported that foreign visitor arrivals reached 5.86 million, based on the DICT’s eTravel System, even as 34 travel advisories from key source markets and tight fiscal conditions weighed on demand.
Bureau of Immigration data, which captures cruise passengers and other visitor categories beyond eTravel, placed total foreign arrivals slightly higher at 5.94 million. Adding 543,085 returning overseas Filipinos pushed total visitor arrivals to 6.48 million for the year.
While foreign arrivals slipped by about one percent from the 5.95 million recorded in 2024, the increase in returning overseas Filipinos from 510,383 helped soften the decline.
More importantly, the DOT argued that arrivals alone understate tourism’s real economic impact. Domestic travel remained robust, keeping hotels, transport operators, restaurants, and tour services busy and sustaining employment across regions.
Using 2025 arrivals as a benchmark, preliminary estimates show international visitor receipts of P694 billion, based on BI-recorded arrivals. Although this is 8.7 percent lower than 2024’s P760.5 billion—and subject to revision pending Philippine Statistics Authority data—it still represents a substantial inflow supporting consumption, small businesses, and local government revenues.
Beyond earnings, 2025 marked a qualitative shift for the sector. The arrival of the MICHELIN Guide, the hosting of the first Terra Madre Asia and the Pacific, and new international air routes strengthened the Philippines’ global brand and long-term competitiveness, particularly in high-value and experience-driven travel.
The DOT’s people-centered initiatives—ranging from the Transit Tour Program and Medical Concierge Services to MSME support and disaster assistance for over 40,000 tourism workers—highlight tourism’s role as a major employer and shock absorber.
In an economy facing recurring climate risks and regional competition, tourism in 2025 did not surge—but it held the line, protecting jobs today while laying groundwork for more resilient growth ahead.
