CENTRAL Visayas welcomed 7,517,450 tourist arrivals in 2024, marking a 37.03 percent increase from 5.5 million in 2023, the Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 reported on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.
Domestic tourists comprised the majority, reaching 5,011,851, a 38.79 percent increase from the previous year. Foreign arrivals also saw significant growth, rising 33.54 percent to 2,498,024, while overseas Filipino workers accounted for 7,575 arrivals.
South Korea remained the region’s top source of foreign visitors, with arrivals growing 24.80 percent to 1.028 million in 2024 from 823,986 in 2023. This was followed by United States with 234,511 arrivals, up 30.50 percent; Japan with 226,755 arrivals, up 57.01 percent, the highest growth among all markets; China with 127,084 arrivals, up 34.93 percent; and Taiwan with 88,728 arrivals, up 29 percent.
Despite the growth in Chinese arrivals, DOT 7 Director Judy Gabato acknowledged that territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea have affected the overall flow of tourists from China.
“We all know (about) the issue on the West Philippine Sea and all the other things, so again, these are the main reason that affects it. But we never stopped promoting our destinations in the Chinese market. But again, with all these issues, these have contributed to the decline in visitor numbers,” Gabato said.
Rounding out the top 10 foreign markets were Australia (71,872), Germany (59,341), France (54,448), United Kingdom (53,459) and Canada (41,949).
According to DOT 7, Cebu and Bohol continued to be the most popular destinations for both domestic and foreign tourists, thanks to their rich cultural heritage and diverse tourism offerings.
Of the 2.5 million foreign visitors in Central Visayas last year, some 1.9 million traveled to Cebu; 498,989 visited Bohol; 87,375 explored Siquijor; and 60,133 went to Negros Oriental.
For domestic tourists, 3.2 million visited Cebu; 870,956 went to Bohol; 768,116 traveled to Negros Oriental; and 154,154 visited Siquijor.
Economic impact
DOT 7 reported that the 7.5 million total visitors contributed P125.92 billion in tourism receipts, with each tourist spending an average of $2,073 per visit.
Tourists are also staying longer, with the average length of stay rising to over 11 nights, compared to nine nights recorded in 2019.
Additionally, 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs were generated in the tourism sector across Central Visayas last year. / Cian Napalit, BiPSU Comm Intern with KOC