PH was visited by 6.4 million tourists, balikbayans in 2025—DOT
Good news for the travel industry: the Philippines attracted around 6.4 million visitors in 2025, according to the Department of Tourism.
Citing data from the Bureau of Immigration, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco stated that a total of 6,430,133 arrivals were recorded in 2025. The number includes 543,009 Filipinos living overseas.
The data shows a continued rise in international arrivals. Previously, the country saw 5.94 million foreign visitors in 2024, 5.45 million in 2023, and over 2.65 million in 2022.
However, the latest data has yet to match the record high of 8.26 million foreign visitors set in 2019, just before COVID-19 stalled international travel.
Frasco noted how the country’s tourism industry would still be affected by “institutional challenges since time immemorial like infrastructure, connectivity and seamless entry to the Philippines.”
According to her, the DOT will continue pushing for reforms in tourism development, which have already begun with the privatization of Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the implementation of visa-free access for several key markets. This includes the newly launched 14-day visa-free entry for Chinese nationals, as well as the privileges granted to Taiwanese and Indian nationals.
The agency is also advocating for more flights into the country, especially from more cities in India and the United States, as well as from the Middle East and from Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
From January to November 2025, the Philippines saw 248,339 visitor arrivals from China, the fifth highest after South Korea, the USA, Japan, and Australia. (with reports from Ghio Ong)
