THE Philippines generated over $1.1 billion (P65.3 billion) in tourism revenue in January 2025, exceeding pre-pandemic levels and signaling a strong industry recovery, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).
The country recorded $1.1 billion (P65.3 billion) in tourism receipts from various activities, products and services. This figure exceeded the P43 billion recorded in January 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic and the P36.5 billion recorded in January 2024.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said that the surge in tourism income indicates not only a post-pandemic recovery but also industry expansion, significantly contributing to economic stability and growth.
“The recovery of Philippine tourism from the period of the pandemic in terms of revenues translates to thousands of jobs created for Filipinos, providing livelihood opportunities for many, especially in our rural and underserved areas,” said Frasco.
The DOT recorded the Philippines’ tourism revenues based on visitor sample surveys, records from the previous arrival/departure cards, shipping manifests and the current eTravel system.
A total of 1,167,908 foreign travelers visited the Philippines in the first two months of 2025.
As of March 1, over a quarter or 25.31 percent of the total figure came from South Korea with 295,611 tourists. Following South Korea was the United States of America with 229,836 travelers, Japan with 83,208 tourists, Canada with 65,145 visitors and Australia with 61,564 guests.
The Philippines also welcomed 53,545 tourists from China, 41,388 from Taiwan, 34,451 from the United Kingdom, 29,352 from Singapore and 21,252 from France. / KOC