The Philippines saw a total of 5,450,557 international visitor arrivals in 2023, some 13.6% higher than the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) target of 4.8 million arrivals according to final figures.
The impressive tally, which included 5,003,475 foreigners and 447,082 overseas Filipinos, saw the Philippines count South Korea as its top source market with 1,439,336, followed by the United States with 903,299 tourists, Japan with 305,580, Australia with 266,551 and China with 263,836. Canada, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Malaysia rounded out the top 10.
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said in a statement that tourism had become a “pivotal force driving our nation’s economic resurgence” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These numbers speak very well of the performance of the tourism industry under the Marcos Administration,” she said.
The DOT also revealed that international tourism receipts grew by 125% year-on-year to Php214.58 billion (US$3.9 billion) in 2023.
“Looking ahead to 2024, our commitment to the transformation of Philippine tourism is unwavering,” said Frasco.
“Guided by our National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028, we are poised for a thriving tourism landscape, evident in surpassing our targets in international and domestic arrivals and receipts, fostering economic prosperity and further job creation for our people.”
The Philippines welcomed 8,260,913 international arrivals in 2019.
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