Which Countries Bring the Most Tourists to the Philippines?

While Filipinos yearn to escape, we mean, travel internationally, more foreigners are flocking to the Philippines than ever before.

Tourism in the Philippines is experiencing a major upswing, with revenues reaching P282.17 billion in the first half of 2024. This represents a 32.81% increase compared to the P212.47 billion earned in the same period last year, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT). 

From January to July 10, 2024, the country welcomed 3,173,694 tourists. A significant 92.55% of these visitors were foreign nationals, while only 7.45% were overseas Filipinos.

South Korea topped the list of foreign tourists with 824,798 visitors (25.99%).

Next is the United States with 522,667 visitors (16.47%), followed by our close neighbors China (6.3%), Japan (5.95%), and Australia (4.33%).

It was the same top five countries but in a different order in 2023, revealing a consistent preference among tourists from these countries for the Philippines as a travel destination.

Taiwan, Canada, the United Kingdom, and neighboring Southeast Asian nations, Singapore and Malaysia, are the sixth to tenth source markets.

Top tourist arrivals in the Philippines

The Philippines is consistently a top destination for South Koreans, a fact even before the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend continues to this day, with them favoring popular tourist destinations like Boracay, Cebu, and Bohol.

The World Travel & Tourism Council projects that the tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy will reach P5.4 trillion by the end of the year. This forecast surpasses the 2019 pre-pandemic record by 7.1%.

Employment in tourism is also expected to see a boost, with the sector anticipated to exceed 9.5 million jobs, comprising 20% of the national workforce. South Korea might top in numbers, but tourists from the United States brought in the most revenue in 2023.

"This is 215% higher than the tourism receipts from South Korea, so this is how important the American market (is). While the arrivals are fewer, the contribution is bigger," Philippine Tourism Director-Attache in New York Francisco Hilario Lardizabal was quoted as saying.

While the Philippines had been busy building stronger ties with the United States, Japan, and Australia through new tourism partnerships in recent years, its relationship with China has become rocky.

Chinese tourists visiting the Philippines have significantly lowered since the pandemic, according to Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian. He noted the stark drop from almost 1.8 million Chinese tourists in 2019 to only 200,000 in 2023.

This is in due part of the Philippines tightening its visa requirements to combat fraudulent applications that have allowed independent—and often illegal—Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) to flourish in the country.

In 2022, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri also cited Xilian’s statement that the Chinese government had actually blacklisted the Philippines as a tourist destination due to concerns over the safety of its nationals in relation to POGO operations.

Source: Spot

A look at the differences between Airbnb and Vrbo

Vacation rentals come in all layouts and sizes. But if you plan to book one, there’s a good chance you’ll do it on Airbnb or Vrbo. The two platforms are among the most popular options for travelers looking for lodging.

Madeline List, a senior research analyst at Phocuswright who has studied the short-term rental industry, said there is “a lot of cross-listing” so users may find the same rental on multiple platforms.

“So there is definitely some overlap between the two platforms,” she said. However, while they have similarities, there are some differences that may help prospective guests decide which is right for their trip.

What sets Airbnb apart?

For starters, it has more listings. “Airbnb is huge in the space, and it’s certainly dominant,” List said. Airbnb had over 7.7 million listings in its 2024 spring update, as compared with more than 2 million on Vrbo.

The platform boasts greater brand awareness, too. Phocuswright’s U.S. Short-Term Rental Report 2021 – its most recent that measured that metric – found that 78% of short-term rental users surveyed were aware of Airbnb as offering that type of accommodation, while 50% named Vrbo.

(Phocuswright surveyed adult consumers in the U.S. with internet access who had traveled overnight and stayed in a paid short-term rental for leisure within the previous two years, and got 983 qualified responses).

List noted, however, that the numbers may have shifted since and Vrbo has done a “push for more brand recognition.” She added that Airbnb “has also done a lot of really strong work trying to push properties that feel very unique and that feel like very differentiated experiences.”

The company recently launched its Icons category – including the clock room at the Musée d’Orsay and a replica of Carl Fredricksen’s house from Disney and Pixar’s “Up” – and has other listings ranging from houseboats to yurts.

“We believe Airbnb offers more unique places to stay and unforgettable experiences than any other travel platform,” Airbnb’s chief business officer Dave Stephenson said in an email.

“Whatever your travel budget or ideal getaway, whether you’re traveling solo or with a group, there are Airbnb listings with great amenities that can provide you with a magical time almost anywhere in the world.”

What sets Vrbo apart?

Vrbo may have fewer listings, but it had an established presence even before Airbnb existed. Expedia Group acquired the platform in 2015 – then known as VRBO – as part of HomeAway.

VRBO rebranded to Vrbo in 2019, before the company retired HomeAway in the U.S. the following year. “Vrbo pioneered the vacation rental category nearly 30 years ago and has remained dedicated to providing travelers with consistent and reliable vacation rentals,” Melanie Fish, vice president of Global PR for Expedia Group Brands, said in an email.

“It’s not about spaceships or a celebrity’s garage – just real, fully functioning homes meant to be lived in and enjoyed together with family and friends.” While Airbnb customers can rent a room in someone else’s home, Vrbo offers only private rentals. That way, Fish said, “guests always get the whole place to themselves and never share the space with a host.”

Vrbo guests can also participate in Expedia Group’s One Key rewards program, allowing them to earn OneKey- Cash they can use on the site, or Expedia. com and Hotels.com. The platform also shows total prices including fees by default (hidden charges have been a source of frustration for many travelers).

Airbnb users must use a toggle to turn on the total price display. Vrbo has also received 2,934 Better Business Bureau complaints in the past three years, while Airbnb has received 7,580.

Does Airbnb or Vrbo cost more?

Hosts set listing prices, List said, and those can vary. “It might be slightly different across sites for all sorts of technical reasons, like the types of commissions and fees they pay to the different booking sites or the types of dynamic pricing tools or fee structures that they’re able to set on the back end,” she noted.

If one platform allows them to add a certain fee and another doesn’t have that capability, the host may adjust the pricing to compensate. “The best way to save money on booking fees is by booking directly with (a rental) operator, but for various reasons that either might not be an option in certain destinations – not everyone has a direct booking site – or it might not be something people feel comfortable with because there’s certainly more purchase security when you book through these centralized sites like Airbnb and Vrbo,” List added.

Despite their differences, they have plenty in common, too (both offer 24/7 customer support, for instance). “The (user experience) certainly has a lot of similarities to it,” List said. 

Source: USA Today

PHL hotel bookings up 54% in Q1

Hotel bookings in the Philippines rose 54% in the first quarter, driven by impulse travel, Singapore-based travel booking service Trip.com Group said.

“We have witnessed a significant increase in hotel bookings in the Philippines compared to last year, and that is a strong sign that more is to come,” Managing Director and Vice-President for International Markets Boon Sian Chai said at a signing ceremony on Tuesday.

In the first quarter, Trip.com reported that hotel bookings in the Philippines through its travel site grew 54%.

The Philippines actually lagged the more than 100% growth in hotel bookings in Southeast Asia overall, though Trip.com said the country performed well in 2023, dampening the first-quarter result due to base effects.

Last year, volume and gross merchandise value of hotel bookings, as well as flight bookings in the Philippines, rose in the triple digits compared with 2022.

Assistant Vice-President for International Market Yi Ru said that impulse travel influenced the Philippine numbers.

“The Philippine market is very unique. Filipinos are very enthusiastic about social media, so impulse buying is working super well in the Philippines,” she said.

She said that younger Filipinos are more receptive to impulse purchases, so they will be launching their pre-sale campaigns very soon.

The feature will allow customers to buy a travel package at an earlier date and decide when they want to travel and book at a later date.

“This new feature will cater to impulse purchase needs. We are still developing this function, and hopefully it will be ready soon,” she said.

She said hotel and accommodation revenue for the booking service increased 100% in the first quarter, outstripping the Asia-Pacific average growth of 29%.

Source: Business World