Philippines Surpasses 2 Million International Arrivals, Exceeding 2022 Target

In a landmark achievement, the Philippines has surpassed the 2 million mark in international arrivals, surpassing the baseline target set by the Department of Tourism (DOT) for the year 2022. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco shared this momentous news during a forum held in Makati City earlier today.

According to the latest data from the DOT, Secretary Frasco revealed that the Philippines recorded a remarkable 2,002,304 international visitor arrivals from January 1 to May 12, 2023. This figure has already exceeded the entire year’s target for 2022, which was set at 1.7 million foreign visitors.

“Notwithstanding our challenges and difficulties, including a pandemic and various calamities, the good news is that this has done nothing to break the Filipino spirit or to diminish the beauty of the Philippines,” stated Secretary Frasco.

Attributing the success to the priority given to Philippine tourism by the Marcos Administration, Secretary Frasco expressed optimism for the country’s prospects as a tourism powerhouse in Asia. She emphasized the strength of Filipino culture and values, including sustainability, resilience, and global competitiveness.

“We are at the cusp of the massive success of tourism in the Philippines. It’s our time, Philippines, it’s our time to become Asia’s leading tourism powerhouse, and with your help, we can achieve just that,” added Secretary Frasco.

South Korea emerged as the leading source market, contributing almost a quarter of the total visitors with 487,502 (24.35%), followed by the United States of America in the second spot with 352,894 (17.62%). Australia, Canada, and Japan completed the top five source markets.

Rounding out the top 10 were China (75,043), Taiwan (62,654), the United Kingdom (62,291), Singapore (53,359), and Malaysia (36,789).

In a related development, the DOT reported a significant increase in inbound visitor receipts, reaching Php 168.52 billion from January to April 2023. This represents a staggering 782.59 percent growth compared to the Php 19,093,427,035.59 in tourism revenues generated during the same period last year.

The Philippines celebrates this achievement as a testament to the resilience of its tourism sector and the enduring allure of the country’s destinations.