The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) has noted that 2024 was an extraordinary year for the country’s tourism, surpassing figures from 2019 in tourist revenues.

During the year-end briefing on December 17th, Secretary Christina Frasco reported that the Philippines generated over US$12 billion in tourist receipts since the beginning of the year. This represents a 119 percent recovery compared to last year and is significantly higher than the over US$10 billion reported in 2019.

“We have the highest tourism per capita spend within ASEAN at over US$2,000, and we have seen that over 70 percent of the tourists that come into the country are repeat visitors.”

Frasco also mentioned expectations for the sector to continue expanding, offering a more diverse array of destinations, attractions, and tourism products.

Meeting Targets

The Philippine government aims to attract at least 7.7 million foreign tourists by the end of the year, a target that now seems elusive, as arrivals stood at 5.64 million as of December 15th.

Despite challenges such as inflation, geopolitical issues, and climate disasters, Frasco noted the sector’s resilience. She urged stakeholders to reconsider measuring performance solely based on arrival numbers.

“Focus on the numbers that matter: visitor receipts, tourism spend, length of stay, tourism employment, for these are what drive our economy and employ our people, and in all of these numbers, the Philippines is doing exceptionally well.”