TOURIST arrivals to Central Visayas rose 8.57 percent in 2025, reaching 2.55 million from 2.35 million in 2024, as strong gains from key markets offset a decline from South Korea, data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 showed.
South Korea remained the region’s largest source market, but arrivals fell 5.38 percent to 966,285 from 1.02 million a year earlier, reflecting softer demand earlier in the year.
Japan posted the fastest growth among major markets, surging 50.45 percent to 337,812 visitors from 244,537 in 2024. The United States followed with a 22.03 percent increase to 261,004 arrivals.
Other markets also recorded solid expansions. Taiwan grew 17.25 percent to 103,219, while Australia rose 19.58 percent to 77,546. European markets delivered robust gains, led by France, up 34.40 percent to 48,606; Germany, up 23.77 percent to 58,912; and the United Kingdom, up 17.59 percent to 50,745.
Canada increased by 21.46 percent to 44,245 visitors.
China, however, posted a slight contraction of 2.57 percent to 112,121 arrivals.
Uptick in Chinese arrivals
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, DOT said it is seeing a gradual uptick in Chinese tourist arrivals, supported by expanded direct flight connectivity between the Philippines and China this year.
During a courtesy meeting on April 7 with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan, DOT Officer-in-Charge Secretary Verna Buensuceso said the increase is partly driven by the recently introduced visa-free policy for Chinese nationals entering via Manila and Cebu for tourism and business purposes.
Discussions focused on sustaining the momentum by widening the visa-free program to include more gateways and boosting air capacity through new and upcoming routes from cities such as Guangzhou and Chongqing to key Philippine destinations, including Cebu, Manila, and Boracay.
Buensuceso also cited the expected rise in cruise ship arrivals, which could bring thousands of additional Chinese tourists across various destinations in the country.
The DOT noted that the liberalized visa policy had previously supported strong growth in Chinese arrivals and people-to-people exchanges before it was temporarily suspended in 2023, underscoring the importance of streamlined entry processes in driving tourism demand. / KOC