The Philippines had a 10 percent year-on-year rise in tourist arrivals during the first nine months of 2024, as the latest data reveals a substantial growth compared to the same period of last year.
The total number of visitors reached some 4.4 million marking a 9.89 percent increase from the 4 million of the previous year.
While overseas Filipinos accounted for 355,692 arrivals (an 8 percent share), the bulk of the growth is attributed to foreign tourists, who represented 4.08 million arrivals, making up 91.99 percent of the total. This segment saw a robust growth rate of 10.36 percent compared to 3.7 million in 2023.
South Korea remains the top source of foreign tourists, with 1.19 million arrivals, which constitutes 26.9 percent of the total. This is a significant increase of 12.1 percent from the previous year. The United States follows with 694,142 arrivals, reflecting a modest growth of 1.65 percent.
Japan and China have also shown impressive growth, with Japan experiencing a 31.69 percent increase (totalling 293,658 arrivals) and China growing by 30.27 percent (totaling 260,134).
Several other countries contributed to the surge in tourist numbers, namelly, Taiwan with a 14.8 percent increase, and India with a 15.14 percent rise.
Although Vietnam visitors reported a 10.5 percent decrease, this country still remains a notable contributor to the Philippines tourism sector.
While the growth is encouraging, certain countries, such as Australia and Canada, experienced slight declines of 0.6 percent and 3.2 percent respectively. The Philippines continues to navigate the challenges posed by global travel uncertainties, but the overall trend indicates a robust recovery.
