US top source of tourists to PH
The United States has become the country’s top source of tourists over the six-month period from January to June, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).
In the preliminary data released last week, the DOT said the country welcomed 2,955,014 tourists during the period, of whom 591,569 (or more than 20 percent) were Americans.
South Korea was the leading source of foreign tourists to the Philippines from 2023 through 2025.
But the United States overtook South Korea as the top market with 531,859 arrivals from January to May (19.40-percent share), while South Korea fell to second with 501,789 (18.31 percent). Japan ranked third (8.26 percent), China fourth (6.84 percent) and Canada fifth (6.06 percent).
The DOT has yet to provide the full breakdown of top visitor arrivals, but said the United States “has now become our number one source market,” and it expects the figures to further grow.
At the general membership meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham) on June 17, Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said the DOT would intensify its push for more tourism and investment partnerships with the United States.
“We no longer see tourism simply as promotion. We see it as a platform for long-term investment,” she said, citing as example the $3.4 billion in investments, pipeline opportunities and financial support the Philippines secured during President Marcos recent state visit to Japan.
Another anticipated platform is the United States’ Pax Silica initiative, which features the 1,618-hectare Economic Security Zone within the Luzon Economic Corridor in New Clark City, Tarlac.
The Pax Silica initiative is expected to boost the development of the country’s reserves of nickel, copper and cobalt alongside its established electronics manufacturing sector.
“This is the direction we are pursuing—tourism as a connector sector that brings together aviation, infrastructure, healthcare, and regional development.”
The DOT, she said, would also work closely with relevant government agencies to improve and expand air connectivity across the country.
“To make this more systematic, we will convene regular airline and airport connectivity discussions with carriers, airports, stakeholders, and government agencies. The goal is simple: solve bottlenecks together and turn plans into actual flights,” she added.
At the same time, Angara-Mathay said the DOT would sustain efforts to develop the Philippines’ high-value tourism segments such as meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, gastronomy, wellness, education and retirement tourism.
“Once people can get here more easily, the next question is what kind of experience we offer them. And that brings me to high-value tourism. Our goal is not simply to bring in more visitors, but to make every visit more meaningful, longer stays, higher spending, and deeper engagement with our destinations and communities,” she said.
Beyond hotels and resorts, Angara-Mathay encouraged AmCham members to explore other opportunities that support tourism destinations across the country, including in airports, ports, digital infrastructure, wellness facilities and renewable energy projects.
