The Philippines received almost 3.28 million foreign tourists in the first seven months of 2024, a tally 11.5-percent higher than the prior-year period, according to data published this week by the nation’s Department of Tourism. Foreign tourists accounted for 92.2 percent of aggregate arrivals, which include people classified as overseas Filipinos.
In aggregate terms, the country recorded just above 3.55 million arrivals in the seven months to July 31, including 277,476 entries by overseas Filipinos. The latter segment was down 0.8 percent from a year earlier.
In terms of foreign tourists, South Korea remains the Philippines’ top source market, with an aggregate of 932,632 arrivals in the January to July period, accounting for nearly 26.2 percent of the total. The tally from that market was up by 14.0 percent year-on-year.
The second-biggest source was the United States, with 580,338 arrivals in the seven months to July 31, flat from a year earlier; and about 16.3 percent of all arrivals.
China rounded out the top three source markets, providing about 219,743 visitors in the first seven months this year, representing about 6.2 percent of all arrivals. The figure was up 54.0 percent from the prior-year period. In July, the Philippines received 28,521 visitors from China, up 3.8 percent sequentially.
Arrivals from Japan totalled 213,864 in the first seven months of 2024, representing 6.0 percent of the aggregate figure, and up 36.9 percent from the prior-year period.
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.
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.
“What we anticipate is that, in the same way that we were able to exceed our targets as far as visitor receipts are concerned for 2023, we would be able to achieve the same feat for 2024,” stated at the time the Secretary of Tourism, Christina Frasco.
