The Philippines’ tourism market continues its positive momentum. In the first four months of the year, the country received nearly 2 million international visitors, marking a 17 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
According to AGB checks based on data from the Department of Tourism (DOT), the total number of visitors to the country reached over 2.12 million, marking an uptick of 13.8 percent. Excluding overseas Filipinos, the Philippines welcomed 1.99 million international visitors.
Despite the volume remaining low in total share (6.5 percent), Chinese visitor arrivals to the Philippines outperformed expectations, surging by 105 percent year-on-year, from 68,909 to 141,153 arrivals in a four-month period.
South Korean arrivals remain significantly ahead of China, maintaining their position as the primary source of inbound tourists, with nearly 571,384 visitor arrivals recorded from January through April, reflecting a 24.4 percent increase from 2023.
The United States retains its second-place ranking among the source markets, with 331,049 visitors recorded during this period.
The number of Japanese tourists also saw a substantial increase of 50.2 percent this year, with the country recording a total of 132,500 arrivals during the four months.
The DOT has set a baseline target of 7.7 million international visitor arrivals in 2024, aiming to surpass the 5.45 million international visitor arrivals recorded last year.
