Angara-Mathay: tourism still strong, evolving fast

Tourism demand in the Philippines is evolving rather than weakening, with travelers becoming more selective even as overall arrivals continue to grow, Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said as she outlined a more coordinated strategy to strengthen the sector.

From January to April 2026, the country recorded 2.24 million international arrivals, up nearly 9 percent year-on-year, signaling that demand remains intact despite reports of slower booking conversions and more cautious travel behavior as she mentioned at the National Conference: Industry Dialogue - Under Constraint: Rewriting for Resilience, Value, and Inclusion on Wednesday, 29 April at Dusit Thani Hotel, Taguig City.

“Demand is not disappearing. It is shifting and rebalancing,” Angara-Mathay said. “Tourism is not simply about destinations. It is about enterprises. It is about the strength and resilience of our local economies.”

She stressed that tourism contributes close to 9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and supports about 6.75 million jobs, making it a key economic driver that directly affects livelihoods and businesses.

With this, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is moving to take a more active role in aligning efforts across government and industry, recognizing that tourism intersects with transport, trade, infrastructure, and local governance.

“As the lead agency, the DOT will take a more active and deliberate role in coordination. We will need alignment across government and industry,” she said, adding that the sector must operate as a unified system to remain competitive.

The department is prioritizing stronger international connectivity and more efficient domestic travel routes, with a focus on key markets in Asia such as China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, alongside long-haul markets in North America, Australia, and Europe.

Angara-Mathay said the strategy will also emphasize high-value segments including meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), cultural and heritage tourism, gastronomy, wellness, and cruise tourism, which generate broader economic benefits for local communities.

The government is also pushing for improvements in tourism infrastructure, including better transport links, expanded accommodation capacity, and well-managed tourism zones designed to enhance visitor experience.

“We will encourage investments in accommodation capacity, tourism infrastructure, and integrated tourism developments in emerging destinations,” she said.

Efforts are also underway to simplify travel procedures and improve entry systems, with the DOT working to enhance processing efficiency and predictability for international visitors.

Angara-Mathay underscored the need to support micro, small, and medium enterprises and community-based tourism, ensuring that growth in the sector translates into shared economic gains rather than concentrated benefits.

She also highlighted the importance of data-driven decision-making, with the department strengthening market intelligence and analytics to better respond to changing travel patterns.

Recognizing ongoing risks, the DOT is establishing a tourism resilience management team to monitor industry conditions and coordinate responses to disruptions.

“Tourism must generate shared prosperity, not concentrated gains,” she said.

While acknowledging structural challenges in infrastructure and investment, Angara-Mathay called for patience from stakeholders, emphasizing that reforms will take time but are already underway.

“To the private sector, we need your investment. We need your innovation, we need your partnership, but more importantly, we need alignment,” she said.

She added that the Philippines already has the core strengths needed to compete globally, but must now focus on execution.