MANILA – South Korea remains the Philippines’ top source of foreign arrivals, with 824,798 or 25.99 percent of the total number of visitors entering the country.
This was revealed by the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) statistical monitoring report, showing that as of July 10, 2024, the country has welcomed 3,173,694 inbound tourists, of which 92.55 percent or 2,937,293 are foreigners while the remaining 7.45 percent or 236,401 are overseas Filipinos.
According to the same report, the United States of America (USA) comes second with 522,667 (16.47 percent), followed by China with 199,939 (6.30 percent), Japan with 188,805 (5.95 percent), and Australia with 137,391 (4.33 percent).
Taiwan, Canada, the United Kingdom, and neighboring Southeast Asian nations, Singapore and Malaysia, are the sixth to tenth source markets, respectively.
The DOT also disclosed that tourism earnings from inbound visitors are currently pegged at PHP282.17 billion from January 1 to June 30, 2024, or approximately 32.81 percent higher than the PHP212.47 billion revenue from the same period last year.
Photo courtesy of Department of Tourism (DOT)
"The significant increase in our tourism earnings to PHP282.17 billion in just the first half of 2024 is a testament to the relentless efforts of the Marcos administration in revitalizing our tourism sector. This 32.81 percent rise from last year's figures not only showcases the growing appeal of the Philippines as a premier travel destination but also underscores the tangible benefits that tourism brings to our economy and our people,” Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said.
“The income generated through tourism directly translates to more opportunities and improved livelihoods for Filipinos, reinforcing the critical role this industry plays in our nation's progress," Frasco added.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Chief expressed optimism about furthering the gains of the industry as the 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasts a “record-breaking” year for the Philippines’ travel and tourism industry in terms of economic contribution, employment, and visitor spending.
Quoting the global private sector group, DOT said that the tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy is expected to reach PHP5.4 trillion this year, or around 25 percent year-on-year growth, surpassing the record-breaking achievement in 2019 by 7.1 percent.
The DOT also quoted the EIR’s forecast regarding employment in tourism is projected to surpass 9.5 million jobs, translating to 20 percent of the national workforce.
“In the second half of the year, we anticipate these numbers to increase, not only the revenue generated but most importantly, the number of Filipinos employed in tourism-related industries. Many projects aimed at improving the country's connectivity and enhancing our visitors' convenience are also in the pipeline to sustain the good work we have started," the Secretary stated.
Additionally, the WTTC also forecasts that both international and domestic visitor spending is also set to break records this year, pegged at PHP715.6 billion and PHP3.7 trillion, respectively, exceeding 2019 levels by 5.7 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively.
