Travel and tourism contributed US$91.8 billion to the Philippine economy in 2025, accounting for nearly 20 percent of national GDP, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Economic Impact Report (EIR).
The Department of Tourism (DOT) said Friday that the report underscores the sector’s role in driving economic growth and resilience. The findings were formally presented by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at a recent meeting of Southeast Asian tourism ministers in Cebu City.
Tourism in the Philippines now ranks among the region’s most significant economic sectors, surpassing Indonesia (US$71.7 billion), Thailand (US$67.3 billion), and Singapore (US$54.6 billion) in total contribution. The sector also supports an estimated 11.2 million jobs nationwide, representing 23 percent of total employment and ranking second in ASEAN only to Cambodia.
ADB economist Sanchita Basu Das highlighted that tourism remains a key driver of economic growth and urged ASEAN countries to focus on increasing revenue per visitor under the bloc’s new action plan covering 2026 to 2030.
Southeast Asia’s average receipts per visitor reached US$1,085 in 2024, still behind regions such as North America (US$2,165), Central America (US$1,441), and Northern Europe (US$1,510). The Philippines, however, recorded US$1,631 per visitor as of September 2025, up from US$1,184 in 2019.
The ADB also recommended increasing ASEAN’s intra-regional share of arrivals from 38 percent to 45 percent by 2030. Last year, the region welcomed around 144 million international visitors, surpassing pre-pandemic arrivals of 143.6 million in 2019.
At the closing of the 2026 ASEAN Tourism Forum, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the Philippines is prepared to leverage growing regional connectivity and implement initiatives to build an inclusive, resilient tourism sector.
Frasco added that route development is a priority, particularly with Southeast Asian neighbors. “In Cebu, I was recently updated that there are already 13 new international routes, several of which are from the ASEAN region. The same is true in Manila, with at least 23 new international flights,” she said.
