CEBU City — The country was hailed by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) as among the region’s countries with the most significant contribution to gross domestic product (GDP), but bigger gains are expected through a common thrust.

The Philippines has emerged as one of ASEAN’s strongest tourism economies, based on an independent study.

In a joint statement by participants at the 29th meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) tourism ministers (MATM), which concluded yesterday, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the region’s tourism sector has continued to show a positive recovery.

“Preliminary figures indicate that ASEAN recorded approximately 144 million international visitors in 2025, reflecting a sustained upward trend supported by measures to enhance connectivity, diversify tourism offerings, and strengthen marketing and promotional efforts,” she said.

The meeting highlighted the importance of promoting sustainable, inclusive, resilient, and quality tourism in line with the ASEAN leaders’ declaration on quality tourism adopted in 2025.

The assembly underscored the importance of implementing the ASEAN tourism sectoral plan 2026 to 2030 and the ASEAN tourism marketing strategy 2026 to 2030 to guide collective actions, strengthen branding and narrative building and enhance regional visibility in the years ahead.

The meeting aimed to promote Southeast Asia as a single, seamless, high-quality tourism destination through data-driven, audience-centered, and digitally enabled regional marketing initiatives.

Frasco said that the meeting underscored the importance of deepening collaboration with the private sector, global online platforms, and sub-regional mechanisms to strengthen brand visibility and amplify regional identity through co-branded and co-funded campaigns.

Also highlighted was the growing potential of cruise tourism and continued cooperation to enhance port connectivity, streamline travel facilitation, improve service and safety standards, strengthen sustainability practices in cruise destinations, and promote multi-destination cruise itineraries across ASEAN seas and coastal areas.

Meeting institutionalized

The meeting also agreed to consider institutionalizing the ASEAN tourism ministers’ retreat as an appropriate platform to address sectoral challenges and to promote coordinated, timely solutions.

The meeting commended ongoing cooperation in promoting quality tourism, including initiatives to strengthen tourism standards, hygiene and safety measures, and capacity building for local communities, women, and youth.

“The meeting welcomed the initiative by the Philippines to develop an ASEAN sustainable and resilient tourism outlook as a priority economic deliverable in 2026 under its ASEAN chairmanship,” Frasco said.

At the gathering, ASEAN member states were tasked with promoting tourism standards in their respective countries to enhance the region’s competitiveness further.

“The meeting recognized the continued development of new and innovative tourism products, including nature-based, cultural, gastronomy, wellness, adventure, and creative tourism experiences,” according to Frasco.

Also commended were outcomes of the sub-regional cooperation, including the second meeting of the Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam National Tourism Organizations for promoting three countries, one destination, which was agreed to be held in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam at the tourism minister’s meeting in 2026.

The meeting further took note of the promotional events, including the Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam food festival and seminar on inland tourism and cross-border facilitation held in December 2025.

Report shows positive results

In its 2025 World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Economic Impact Report, the country ranked among the region’s top contributors in economic impact and employment generation.

The WTTC Economic Impact Report said in terms of GDP, the Philippines ranked first, valued at $91.8 billion, the highest in ASEAN, surpassing other major regional tourism economies such as Indonesia ($71.7 billion), Thailand ($67.3 billion), and Singapore ($54.6 billion).

Tourism accounts for 19.9 percent of the Philippine economy, placing the country among the most tourism-significant economies in Southeast Asia, both in scale and impact.

In terms of employment, the Philippines likewise ranks among ASEAN’s top tourism job generators, with tourism supporting approximately 11.22 million jobs nationwide.

The said number represents 23.0 percent of total national employment, one of the highest shares in the region, exceeded only by Cambodia.

“In absolute terms, the Philippines has the second-largest tourism workforce in ASEAN, next only to Indonesia, underscoring tourism’s role as a major source of livelihoods for Filipinos,” the report said.

Frasco said figures highlight the country’s unique position in the region, combining high economic value with vigorous employment intensity.

While some ASEAN economies show high tourism dependence with a smaller overall scale, the Philippines stands out for delivering both scale and inclusivity, reinforcing tourism’s role as a people-centered growth engine, she said.

Moreover, Frasco said the data affirm tourism’s critical contribution to national development under the Marcos Administration.

These figures clearly show that the Philippines ranks among ASEAN’s leading tourism economies. With tourism contributing nearly $92 billion to our economy and supporting over 11 million Filipino jobs according to the WTTC, tourism remains a powerful driver of inclusive growth, job creation, and economic resilience for our country,” Frasco said.

She added that the Philippines’ strong performance reflects the DoT’s continued focus on strengthening the tourism value chain, empowering the workforce, and ensuring that tourism growth translates into tangible benefits for communities nationwide.

As ASEAN chair for 2026, the Philippines reaffirmed its commitment to advancing regional cooperation that strengthens tourism’s contribution to economic growth, expands quality employment, and positions Southeast Asia as a resilient and competitive tourism region.