According to data from the Department of Tourism (DOT), visitor arrivals to the Philippines increased by 24.4 percent in January and February compared to the same period last year.
During the initial two months of 2024, the total number of visitors to the country reached nearly 1.16 million. Excluding overseas Filipinos, the Philippines welcomed nearly 1.1 million international visitors, marking a significant uptick of 27.6 percent.
South Korea maintained its position as the primary source of inbound tourists, with almost 329,651 visitor arrivals recorded during the two months, reflecting a 28.9 percent increase from 2023.
The United States retained its second-place ranking among the source markets, with 185,387 visitors recorded during this period.
China ascended to third place with 82,314 arrivals, representing a remarkable surge of 235 percent. This surge can be attributed to the Chinese New Year falling in the month of February.
The number of Japanese tourists also saw a substantial increase of 76.5 percent this year, with the country recording a total of 67,422 arrivals during the two-month period.
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.
