The Philippines received just above 4.08 million foreign tourists in the first nine months of 2024, up 10.4 percent from the prior-year period, according to data published by the nation’s Department of Tourism. Foreign tourists accounted for circa 92.0 percent of aggregate arrivals, which include people classified as overseas Filipinos.
In aggregate terms, the country recorded just under 4.44 million arrivals in the nine months to September 30, including 355,692 entries by overseas Filipinos. The latter segment – referring to Philippine passport holders who are permanently residing abroad – was up 4.8 percent from a year earlier.
The Philippines is one of the few jurisdictions in Asia to have an extensive casino industry with unrestricted access for locals, as well as foreigners.
In terms of foreign tourists, South Korea remains the Philippines’ top source market, with nearly 1.20 million arrivals in the January to September period, accounting for nearly 27.0 percent of the total. The tally from that market was up by 12.1 percent year-on-year.
The second-biggest source was the United States, with 694,142 arrivals in the first nine months of 2024, about 15.6 percent of all arrivals. The figure was up 1.7 percent from the prior-year period.
Japan rounded out the top three source markets, providing 293,658 arrivals, nearly 6.6 percent of all visitors. The figure was up 31.7 percent from a year ago, according to the data.
China, which in August was pushed into fourth place in terms of main source markets for tourism to the Philippines, provided about 260,134 visitors in the nine months to September 30, representing about 5.9 percent of all arrivals. The figure was up 30.3 percent from the prior-year period.
The Philippines aims to draw 7.7 million foreign visitors this year after exceeding its 2023 arrivals forecast. The country received an aggregate of 5.45 million international visitors in full-year 2023, with 91.8 percent being foreigners.
In late July, the Philippines Department of Tourism said the country might outperform this year’s target in terms of tourist receipts, as visitor arrivals so far this year have been exceeding expectations.
