According to recent data released by the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Philippines welcomed over 2.4 million international tourists in the initial five months of 2024, marking a 16.3 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
International tourists constituted 93.4 percent of the overall arrivals, inclusive of individuals categorized as overseas Filipinos.
South Korea maintained its position as the leading contributor of visitors to the Philippines, with a total of 682,362 arrivals during the January to May timeframe, representing nearly 26.6 percent of the total arrivals. This figure reflected a 22.1 percent surge year-on-year.
Following closely behind, the United States emerged as the second-largest source, recording 403,721 arrivals from January to May, unchanged from the previous year, and accounting for approximately 15.7 percent of total arrivals.
China remained within the top three sources, contributing approximately 168,628 visitors in the initial five months of this year, constituting around 6.6 percent of all arrivals. This figure marked a notable increase of 93.9 percent from the corresponding period in the previous year. However, in May, the number of visitors from China decreased by 13 percent compared to the previous month, with the Philippines welcoming 27,475 visitors from China.
Meanwhile, arrivals from Japan reached a total of 158,461 in the first five months of the year, comprising 6.2 percent of the overall arrivals and reflecting a substantial 44.8 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 aggregate.
