Tourist arrivals to the Philippines slowly picked up after significant disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. From roughly 1.48 million tourists in 2020, international visitor numbers rose to around 5.44 million in 2024. Despite the increase, this number remains much lower than the pre-pandemic level. State of inbound tourism in the Philippines  The tourism industry has shown significant improvements in the past three years, with flights returning to normal and tourists reviving their travel interests. Although domestic travelers continue to outnumber inbound ones, the number of international tourists in the Philippines has seen gradual growth recently. In 2023, tourism receipts also slightly surpassed the 2019 values. On average, international tourists in the Philippines stayed for about 11 nights in November 2023, spending less than 8,000 Philippine pesos daily. In 20234, more than a quarter of tourists arriving in the country came from South Korea, followed by those traveling from the United States and Japan. Airlines for international tourists  In 2023, most international passengers who traveled to the Philippines were carried by Philippine Airlines (PAL), which is the country’s flagship airline. The majority of visitors entered the country via Manila, followed by Cebu. Aside from PAL, international tourists also traveled through Cebu Pacific, which is a low-cost airline that offers both domestic and international flights.

International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

South Korea was the biggest market for international tourists arriving in the Philippines in 2024, with about 1.6 million travelers. Tourists from the United States came in second, reaching roughly 950,000. Post-pandemic tourism recovery The number of tourist arrivals significantly shows signs of recovery in 2024, at about six million, after the disruptions caused by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. During the pandemic, foreign tourist arrivals dropped to merely 1.5 million people from more than eight million in the previous year. Surprisingly, this figure was even lower in 2021, which was just 0.16 million tourists. The state of domestic travel While foreign tourist arrivals struggled during the pandemic, domestic tourism in the Philippines experienced fewer setbacks. In 2023 alone, about 48 million overnight travelers were recorded, the majority of whom were domestic travelers. Cebu Pacific carried the highest number of domestic passengers in 2023, with PAL Express carrying just about half of the former's passenger volume.

Concerning the four selected segments, the segment 25-34 years has the largest population by age with 43.32 percent. Contrastingly, 45-54 years is ranked last, with 6.91 percent. Their difference, compared to 25-34 years, lies at 36.41 percentage points. Find other insights concerning similar markets and segments, such as a ranking of subsegments in Belgium regarding share in the segment Cruises and a ranking by country regarding number of users in the travel & tourism market. The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.

Key information about Philippines Visitor Arrivals

• Philippines Visitor Arrivals recorded 505,178 person in Feb 2025, compared with 578,224 person in the previous month
• Philippines Visitor Arrivals data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1988 to Feb 2025
• The data reached an all-time high of 782,132 person in Jan 2020 and a record low of 357 person in May 2020

CEIC calculates monthly Tourist Arrivalsby subtracting Overseas Filipinos Visitors from Total Visitors. Statistics and Census Service provides Total Visitors and Overseas Filipinos Visitors. Tourist Arrivals include Same-Day Visitors.

Philippines PH: International Tourism: Number of Departures data was reported at 3,188,000.000 Person in 2009. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3,355,000.000 Person for 2008. Philippines PH: International Tourism: Number of Departures data is updated yearly, averaging 1,930,000.000 Person from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2009, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,355,000.000 Person in 2008 and a record low of 1,615,000.000 Person in 1995. Philippines PH: International Tourism: Number of Departures data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International outbound tourists are the number of departures that people make from their country of usual residence to any other country for any purpose other than a remunerated activity in the country visited. The data on outbound tourists refer to the number of departures, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips from a country during a given period is counted each time as a new departure.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.; Gap-filled total;

The Southeast Asian nation of the Philippines is a popular travel destination due to the several islands that form its topography. Tourism is a thriving source of revenue for the country, with the transportation services sector contributing about 710 billion Philippine pesos, which was the largest share of the industry's income in 2023. Post-COVID tourism recovery After the travel restrictions imposed in 2020 until the early months of 2022, the tourism sector in the Philippines has finally shown signs of recovery. International tourist arrivals reached about 5.45 million, up from just 0.16 million in 2021. Tourism receipts also matched 2019 values, with tourism from South Korea and the United States being the country's leading tourist markets. Despite the inbound tourism recovery, domestic tourism expenditures remained the biggest contributor to the industry's revenue. State of outbound tourism In comparison to inbound and domestic tourism, outbound travel contributes the lowest expenditure in the Philippines. Across the different tourism-characteristic industries, spending on outbound tourism was highest for accommodation services, followed by food and beverage. Between May and December 2023, popular destinations for Filipino tourists were Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan.

Philippines PH: International Tourism: Number of Arrivals data was reported at 5,967,000.000 Person in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,361,000.000 Person for 2015. Philippines PH: International Tourism: Number of Arrivals data is updated yearly, averaging 2,733,000.000 Person from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,967,000.000 Person in 2016 and a record low of 1,760,000.000 Person in 1995. Philippines PH: International Tourism: Number of Arrivals data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International inbound tourists (overnight visitors) are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics (police, immigration, and the like) and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.; Gap-filled total;

In 2023, the total value of outbound tourism expenditure in the Philippines amounted to approximately 208 billion Philippine pesos, reflecting a slight increase from the previous year. Despite the increase, outbound tourism expenditures have not yet recovered since the pandemic.

Key information about Philippines Visitor Arrivals

• Philippines Visitor Arrivals dropped 8.4 % in Feb 2025, compared with an increase of 6.7 % in the previous month
• Philippines Visitor Arrivals Growth rate data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1989 to Feb 2025
• The data reached an all-time high of 2,463.9 % in May 2021 and a record low of -99.9 % in May 2020

CEIC calculates Tourist Arrivals Growth from monthly Tourist Arrivals. Tourist Arrivals are calculated by subtracting Overseas Filipinos Visitors from Total Visitors. Statistics and Census Service provides Total Visitors and Overseas Filipinos Visitors. Tourist Arrivals include Same-Day Visitors.

Further information about Philippines Visitor Arrivals

• In the latest reports, Philippines Visitor Arrivals recorded 505,178.0 person in the month of Feb 2025
• Tourism Revenue of Philippines reached 3.8 USD bn in Dec 2022, a decrease of 2,226.5 % change from the previous year

This data is from the Korea Tourism Knowledge Information System and shows the population statistics of Thai, Indonesian, Filipino, and Vietnamese people who entered Korea through the major ports of Incheon and Busan. Source: Tourism Knowledge & Information System (hosted by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) Countries: Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam Ports of entry: Incheon, Busan Data type: Monthly and weekly (inferred from monthly data) Time period: Up to November 2022

South Korean tourists accounted for the highest share of foreign tourist arrivals to the Philippines in 2024. Travelers from the United States came second, with a share of 16 percent of the total foreign tourist arrival in the country.

Philippines PH: International Tourism: Receipts: for Travel Items data was reported at 5.153 USD bn in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.273 USD bn for 2015. Philippines PH: International Tourism: Receipts: for Travel Items data is updated yearly, averaging 2.466 USD bn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.273 USD bn in 2015 and a record low of 1.136 USD bn in 1995. Philippines PH: International Tourism: Receipts: for Travel Items data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism receipts for travel items are expenditures by international inbound visitors in the reporting economy. The goods and services are purchased by, or on behalf of, the traveler or provided, without a quid pro quo, for the traveler to use or give away. These receipts should include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except in cases where these are so important as to justify a separate classification. Excluded is the international carriage of travelers, which is covered in passenger travel items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.; Gap-filled total;

In 2023, domestic tourism accounted for the highest tourism expenditures in the Philippines, amounting to approximately 2.67 trillion Philippine pesos. In comparison, the total tourism expenditures on inbound tourism amounted to 697 billion Philippine pesos as the number of visitor arrivals to the Philippines recovers.

In 2023, there were approximately 209,458 Filipinos that arrived in Indonesia. The number of international visitor arrivals in Indonesia increased significantly compared to the previous year, indicating a strong recovery in the tourism industry from the impact of the pandemic.

Philippines Tourism Expenditure: Domestic data was reported at 2,644,833.000 PHP mn in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,108,216.000 PHP mn for 2016. Philippines Tourism Expenditure: Domestic data is updated yearly, averaging 519,391.000 PHP mn from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2017, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,644,833.000 PHP mn in 2017 and a record low of 182,059.000 PHP mn in 2000. Philippines Tourism Expenditure: Domestic data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.Q009: Tourism Expenditure .

International tourists in the Philippines stayed for 11.6 nights on average in 2023, a slight decline from the peak number of nights in 2022. The majority of international tourists came to the Philippines for holiday or leisure purposes.

New Zealand Visitor Arrivals: Short Term: Asia: Philippines data was reported at 2,336.000 Person in Jun 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3,184.000 Person for May 2018. New Zealand Visitor Arrivals: Short Term: Asia: Philippines data is updated monthly, averaging 348.000 Person from Apr 1978 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 483 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,248.000 Person in Dec 2017 and a record low of 8.000 Person in Jul 1978. New Zealand Visitor Arrivals: Short Term: Asia: Philippines data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics New Zealand. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.Q010: Visitor Arrivals: Statistics New Zealand: By Country.

Philippines PH: International Tourism: Expenditures: % of Total Imports data was reported at 11.431 % in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 13.170 % for 2015. Philippines PH: International Tourism: Expenditures: % of Total Imports data is updated yearly, averaging 6.237 % from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13.170 % in 2015 and a record low of 1.654 % in 1995. Philippines PH: International Tourism: Expenditures: % of Total Imports data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism expenditures are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries, including payments to foreign carriers for international transport. These expenditures may include those by residents traveling abroad as same-day visitors, except in cases where these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include expenditures for passenger transport items. Their share in imports is calculated as a ratio to imports of goods and services, which comprise all transactions between residents of a country and the rest of the world involving a change of ownership from nonresidents to residents of general merchandise, goods sent for processing and repairs, nonmonetary gold, and services.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, and IMF and World Bank imports estimates.; Weighted average;

Philippines PH: International Tourism: Receipts: for Passenger Transport Items data was reported at 1.180 USD bn in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.142 USD bn for 2015. Philippines PH: International Tourism: Receipts: for Passenger Transport Items data is updated yearly, averaging 527.500 USD mn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.180 USD bn in 2016 and a record low of 5.000 USD mn in 1996. Philippines PH: International Tourism: Receipts: for Passenger Transport Items data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism receipts for passenger transport items are expenditures by international inbound visitors for all services provided in the international transportation by resident carriers. Also included are passenger services performed within an economy by nonresident carriers. Excluded are passenger services provided to nonresidents by resident carriers within the resident economies; these are included in travel items. In addition to the services covered by passenger fares--including fares that are a part of package tours but excluding cruise fares, which are included in travel--passenger services include such items as charges for excess baggage, vehicles, or other personal accompanying effects and expenditures for food, drink, or other items for which passengers make expenditures while on board carriers. Data are in current U.S. dollars.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.; Gap-filled total;