According to data from the Department of Tourism (DOT), international visitor arrivals to the Philippines decreased by 2.42 percent in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
During the initial three months of 2025, the total number of visitors to the country reached 1,654,079, marking a slight decrease of 0.51 percent. Excluding overseas Filipinos, the Philippines welcomed 1,530,319 international visitors.
South Korea maintained its position as the primary source of inbound tourists, with 395,059 visitor arrivals recorded during the three months. This includes 161,920 visitors in January, 132,732 in February, and 100,407 in March. However, this reflects a 13.86 percent decrease from 2024.
The United States retained its second-place ranking among the source markets, with 285,597 visitors recorded during this period. The visitor numbers increased 7.9 percent.
Japan ascended to third place with 125,083 arrivals, representing an increase of 18.73 percent. This includes 31,338 visitors in January, 43,907 in February, and 49,838 in March.
The number of Chinese tourists saw a substantial decrease of 33.68 percent in 1Q24, with the country recording a total of 72,665 arrivals during the three-month period. China dropped to 6th place on the list of foreign arrivals. In the first quarter, this consisted of 30,924 visitors in January, 22,326 in February, and 19,415 in March.
