Philippines Hits 3 Million International Arrivals, Records Tourism Receipt Surge in First Half of 2023

MANILA , Philippines—As of July 19, 2023, the Philippines has marked a significant milestone, recording three million international arrivals since the start of the year, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT). The robust recovery of the tourism sector is evident with the majority of these visitors, 2,740,802 or 91.36 percent, being foreign tourists and the remaining 259,277 or 8.64 percent representing overseas Filipinos.

During the period from January 1 to June 30, 2023, tourism receipts also showed a significant surge, reaching P212,467,522,100.14. This amount is a substantial 502.02 percent increase compared to the P35,292,495,457.14 tourism revenue generated during the same period in the previous year.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco acknowledged the notable recovery and attributed the resurgence to the efforts made by the Marcos Administration. She reiterated the significant role that tourism plays in providing employment and livelihood opportunities for millions of Filipinos. Secretary Frasco also expressed gratitude for the renewed international interest in the Philippines and the support from domestic travelers.

In terms of visitor origin, the DOT data unveiled South Korea as the top source country, contributing almost a quarter of total arrivals with 741,658 or 24.72 percent. It was closely followed by the United States with 550,569 or 18.35 percent of visitors. Australia, Japan, and Canada rounded out the top five source countries, bringing in 146,062 (4.87 percent), 143,227 (4.77 percent), and 132,018 (4.40 percent) visitors respectively.

Other countries that contributed to the arrival numbers include China with 129,077 or 4.30 percent, Taiwan with 104,211 or 3.47 percent, the United Kingdom with 85,847 or 2.86 percent, Singapore with 81,656 or 2.72 percent, and Malaysia with 54,411 or 1.81 percent of total arrivals.

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