* Cebu recorded 1,080,809 tourist arrivals from January to August 2026, marking a 12.78 percent increase of 122,492 visitors compared to the same period in 2025.
* Domestic arrivals totaled 838,575 while foreign arrivals rose 27.28 percent to 242,108, with South Korea, the United States, and Japan listed as the top foreign source markets.
* Cordova led local destinations with 171,552 tourist arrivals, followed by Santa Fe with 120,197 and Daanbantayan with 59,435, according to a report submitted to Gov. Pamela Baricuatro.
CEBU recorded more than one million tourist arrivals from January to August 2026, marking a 12.78 percent increase from the same period last year, according to the Provincial Tourism Office.
The province recorded 1,080,809 tourist arrivals as of Sept. 22, up by 122,492 from the 958,317 arrivals recorded in the same period in 2025.
The increase was driven by both domestic and foreign visitors, with international arrivals posting a faster growth rate.
Domestic arrivals reached 838,575, up 9.19 percent from the previous year, while foreign arrivals increased by 27.28 percent to 242,108.
Cordova recorded the highest number of tourist arrivals among Cebu’s destinations during the eight-month period, with 171,552, followed by Santa Fe with 120,197 and Daanbantayan with 59,435.
Foreign visitors
The tourism office’s figures were contained in its January-to-August 2026 tourism statistics report submitted to Gov. Pamela Baricuatro on Sept. 30.
South Korea remained Cebu’s largest foreign source market, accounting for 60,518 arrivals, followed by the United States with 22,866 and Japan with 22,223.
The tourism office said 53 foreign markets recorded positive growth during the reporting period.
South Korea posted the largest increase, with 13,630 additional arrivals, followed by China with 10,546 and the United Kingdom with 3,409.
The increase in foreign arrivals contributed to the province’s overall tourism growth during the first eight months of the year.
The tourism office said the figures reflect the continued efforts of the provincial government, local government units, tourism establishments, communities and other industry stakeholders to promote Cebu’s destinations and tourism activities. / CDF