According to recent data released by the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Philippines welcomed over 2.8 million international tourists in the first half of 2024, marking a 13.7 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
International tourists constituted 92.7 percent of the overall arrivals, including individuals categorized as overseas Filipinos.
South Korea maintained its position as the leading contributor of visitors to the Philippines, with a total of 792,482 arrivals during the January to June timeframe, representing nearly 26.2 percent of the total arrivals. This figure reflected a 17.1 percent surge year-on-year.
Following closely behind, the United States remained the second-largest source, recording 493,900 arrivals in the first half of the year, unchanged from the previous year, and accounting for approximately 16.2 percent of total arrivals. However, arrivals from the United States saw a slight decrease of 0.08 percent from 1H23.
China remained within the top three sources, contributing approximately 191,222 visitors in the six-month period, constituting around 6.6 percent of all arrivals. This figure marked a notable increase of 75.8 percent from the corresponding period in the previous year.
However, various scandals involving the kidnapping and killing of Chinese nationals have been widely reported in China’s media, which might impact visitor numbers to the Philippines further.
Meanwhile, arrivals from Japan reached a total of 181,844 in the first six months of the year, comprising 6 percent of the overall arrivals and reflecting a substantial 40.9 percent increase from the previous year.
With ambitions to attract 7.7 million foreign visitors this year, the Philippines has set high targets following its surpassing of arrival goals in 2023. The country welcomed a total of 5.45 million international visitors throughout 2023, with foreigners accounting for 91.8 percent of the total.
