Visitor arrivals hit 5.65 million at mid-December

INTERNATIONAL visitors to the Philippines totaled 5.65 million as of Dec. 15, according to the Department of Tourism (DoT), well behind the pace needed to achieve the 7.7 million target for the year.

“South Korea remains our top source market, followed by the US and Japan,” Tourism Secretary Christina G. Frasco said at a briefing on Tuesday.

“To further expand our reach, we have intensified efforts to engage emerging opportunity markets, sharing the unique story of the Filipino and showcasing the rich array of experiences our country has to offer,” Ms. Frasco added.

The mid-December total is equivalent to 73.4% of the target for the year.

The DoT said that South Korea accounted for 1.15 million or 20.3% of the total arrivals, followed by the US with 889,489 or 15.7%, and Japan 367,747 or 6.5%.

Rounding out the top five were China, which sent 306,549 visitors or 5.4%, and Australia with 249,140 or 4.4%.

The other leading sources of visitors were Canada, Taiwan, Singapore, the UK, and Malaysia.

“We have graduated from measuring tourism merely by the number of people arriving, but rather on the more important numbers” like spending, length of stay, and return visits, she added.

Ms. Frasco said tourism receipts as of Dec. 15 amounted to P712 billion, exceeding the P697 billion booked in 2023.

“Tourists are now spending an average of over 11 nights in the country, and over 70% are repeat visitors,” she added.

“We are focusing on the numbers that drive the economy. Therefore, we are looking to surpass our visitor receipts in 2025,” Ms. Frasco said. — Adrian H. Halili