Filipinos travel for therapy

A lot has happened in the past couple of years that Filipinos needed to adjust to: Stability of the economy and health emergencies. Being outdoors, however, is changing things up for many, especially millennials.

In the recent 2025 Travel Pulse, a study conducted by Klook across APAC, all Filipino respondents (100 percent) agreed that travel is an effective way to manage stress and their well-being, thus many consider it a “form of therapy.”

“Overall, we’ve seen Filipinos take more chances on travelling in 2024 and aren’t slowing down in 2025. It’s even reached the extent that Millennials and Gen Zs perceive it to be a therapeutic tool. From being considered a love language last year, to being a form of therapy today, it goes to show that travel continues to evolve in different ways to serve each individual’s unique definition of joy,” Michelle Ho, Klook Philippines general manager, said.

Data also found that 78.4 percent use travel as a getaway for a mental break, with 31.6 percent choosing a nature retreat for a creative reset (higher than the market average of 15.8 percent).

Destinations, considerations

The survey found that 98.5 percent of Filipino respondents plan to travel domestically as well as to nearby locations in the next year. More than half shared that they plan to travel internationally (56.3 percent).

Klook noted that besides the usual international hotspots like Japan, South Korea and Singapore; there’s emerging popularity among Filipinos going to Vietnam, Taiwan and Thailand (239 percent, 120 percent and 78 percent growth seen respectively in 2024 versus 2023).

Filipinos consider traveling during the perfect weather (37.3 percent). Scheduling around work and school vacations was ranked of equal importance (29.9 percent), followed by the affordability of the travel options available (15.3 percent).

Social media

Social media plays a significant role in travel inspiration as 89 percent of Filipinos choose to visit a destination upon seeing it on social media (versus 79 percent regional average). This was evident to Klook following a 157 percent increase in revenue for Vietnam tourism services and products made on the platform after Klook Kreators started posting about their travels to Vietnam.

“Based on our study, social media has made an impact on the way Filipinos plan their travels, and the motivations that create their itineraries. It’s become a means of digitalization that drives a more intense desire to travel and explore what’s out there.” Ho shared.

Filipinos are more than two times more likely to engage with TikTok (69 percent) for travel inspiration. The rankings haven’t changed much as Facebook leads (84 percent), followed by YouTube (73 percent), and Instagram (63 percent). Quick content, such as photos (67 percent) and short-form videos (62 percent) is considered the most common go-to travel guides for Filipinos, followed by long-form videos (48 percent) and in-depth blog posts (45 percent) that dive deeper into destinations.

On a regional scale, Klook found that more than half (58.4 percent) of respondents have sought the help of AI to plan their trips. Gen Z and Millennials are attuned to using AI (64.4 percent and 51.8 percent).

Filipinos book 1-2 night stays at hotels and resorts that offer breakfast and have a pool. In booking these, respondents (45 percent) secured them less than a month to 3 months ahead of their travel, with activities generally being booked in less than a month in advance. Klook has seen events like marathons and concerts contribute to this increase in hotel bookings.

Klook Philippines also announced statistics showing a 202 percent growth of Filipinos booking hotels within the Philippines, and a 160 percent increase of inbound tourists booking local hotels (2024 versus 2023). Overall, the travel app recorded a general increase of 190 percent in those booking hotel stays on the platform.

Klook partnered with Hospitality Innovators, Inc. (HII) to cater to the growing demand for hotels as well as launch different hotel rooms, experiences, and bundles exclusively available on the platform. On the Klook platform alone, HII saw a 913.7 percent growth in bookings in 2024 versus the previous year.

“Our collaboration with Klook Philippines caters to the growing demand for hotels by both Filipinos and foreign tourists through their platform. With the central goal to elevate the guest journey at our properties, we’ve joined forces to create unique experiences when staying in HII hotels,” Luis Monserrat, founder, president and chief executive officer of HII, said.