Tourism sector soars in 2024

The Department of Tourism (DOT) reported robust growth in the tourism sector for last year, attributing the progress to reforms and flagship programs under the Marcos administration.

DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco noted that Philippine tourism gained much more last year compared to 2023 in terms of spending by foreign tourists, and even exceeded the data recorded in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic stopped global travel.

Frasco said a comparative survey of tourism spending per capita within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, conducted by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) showed that international tourists coming into the country spend at least $2,073 per capita.

"Therefore, beyond quantity, we are attracting quality, yielding more revenues for our stakeholders, (and) more jobs for our people. And as we have focused on elevating the quality of tourism in the Philippines and diversifying our tourism products, tourists are staying longer in the Philippines," she said.

Compared to the average of nine nights in 2019, tourists are now staying an average of over 11 nights in the country, she said.

"Data would show that 70 percent of tourists coming to the country are repeat visitors. Truly, our tourists have come to love the Philippines with a higher spend, longer stay and repeat visits," Frasco said.

From January to Dec. 15, 2024, Frasco said international visitor receipts surged to P712 billion, marking a 119 percent recovery from the P600 billion recorded in 2019.

The tourism chief noted that the April 2024 Labor Force Survey shows that 16.4 million Filipinos are employed in tourism, representing 34 percent of total employment in the first quarter, benefiting directly or indirectly from tourism.