Domestic tourism picking up slack from faltering international visitor numbers

By Justine Irish D. Tabile, Reporter

DOMESTIC TOURISM has been bridging the gap opened up by the dearth of international arrivals, which are likely to decline this year, analysts said.

“Domestic tourism has been the key stabilizer for the tourism industry as international arrivals lagged,” according to John Paolo R. Rivera, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies.

Speaking via Viber, Mr. Rivera said: “When global travel took longer to recover post-pandemic, local demand helped fill the gap where families, balikbayans (returning overseas residents), and weekend travelers sustained hotel stays, food services, transport, and leisure activities.”

He said the domestic base helped support jobs and businesses at tourist destinations but also kept cash flowing through the ecosystem despite softer foreign visitor numbers.

In a statement on Monday, the Department of Tourism (DoT) said domestic tourism surged during the holiday season, with some holiday destinations recording over 100,000 arrivals.

“Leading holiday destinations saw robust visitor turnout, with Boracay Island in the Western Visayas recording 118,745 tourists from Dec. 15 to 28, as Filipinos gathered to celebrate Christmas by the beach,” it said in a statement.

“The region also welcomed cruise passengers during the holidays, with Star Navigator and Norwegian Sun making multiple port calls and bringing in thousands of passengers and crew, further adding to local tourism activity,” it added.

The department also reported 102,124 and 62,640 tourists in Cebu City and Panglao Island in Bohol during the same period, “reflecting sustained domestic travel to the Central Visayas despite the region having faced a series of natural calamities earlier in the year.”

Baguio City, a traditional Christmas destination for Luzon residents, received 117,137 visitors from Dec. 15 to 31.

Camarines Sur welcomed 92,000 arrivals, and Albay 45,000.

According to the department, steady holiday traffic was also seen in Northern Luzon destinations, including La Union, Ilocos Sur, and Nueva Vizcaya.

“Island destinations remained popular for a ‘summer in December’ experience. El Nido, Palawan welcomed 40,000 tourists, while Coron recorded 17,850 visitors. Puerto Galera also drew 13,204 holiday travelers,” the department said.

In Mindanao, Sarangani welcomed 26,191 visitors, Siargao Island 32,742, Bukidnon 9,488, and Camiguin Island 6,558.

Despite the strong domestic tourism, Mr. Rivera said the challenge is to convert the momentum “into broader recovery by improving connectivity, diversifying products beyond beaches into culture and adventure, and enhancing digital booking and safety standards.”

“This is so that the industry is better positioned when international tourism fully rebounds,” he added.

The DoT reported that international arrivals dipped 2.16% in the first 11 months to 5.25 million.

The decline was led by a 21% drop in arrivals from South Korea to 1.134 million.

Colliers Research Director Joey Roi H. Bondoc has said that it will be difficult for 2025 arrival numbers to beat the 5.95 million international arrivals booked in 2024.

“What is really driving the hotel sector right now in the Philippines is really the domestic market,” he said by phone.

“But the problem is it is not enough because while local tourists are growing in numbers and are occupying conference halls and hotel rooms, it is different when you have that foreign money injected into the scene. That would have tremendous multiplier effects, which we are not seeing right now,” he added.