PH records 5.4 million foreign visitors in 2023

According to Christina Garcia Frasco, Secretary of the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Philippines had over 5 million visitors and over PHP480 billion in income from foreign tourism as of the end of 2023.

DOT statistics show that in 2023, almost 5.4 million tourists visited the country, exceeding the administration’s goal of 4.8 million international visitors in the same year.

With 1,439,336 visitors, or 26.41% of all international visitors, South Korea remained the Philippines’ leading source of foreign visitors. Japan came in second and the US came in third with 903,299 and 305,580 visits, respectively.

The Philippines anticipates 7.7 million international tourists by 2024, albeit this number will not rise beyond pre-pandemic levels. In 2023, the nation is expected to generate PHP482.54 billion from foreign tourists, up 124.87% over the previous year’s projection of PHP214.58 billion for the same time.

Prior to the epidemic, the DOT reported PHP482.15 billion in revenue from foreign travel in 2019. The National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023–2028, which contained objectives including improving the country’s infrastructure and accessibility for visitors, was signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in May 2023.

Original story by: Asia Gaming Brief