Tourist arrivals rise 9% despite Middle East crisis

The Department of Tourism reported that foreign arrivals to the Philippines rose by 9 percent despite the ongoing Middle East crisis.

However, Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said the department is also seeing slower booking conversions, more cautious traveler sentiment, and cancellations in some segments.

“Demand is not disappearing—it is shifting and rebalancing. From January to 27 April 2026, we recorded 2.24 million international arrivals, up nearly 9 percent year on year. What this tells us is simple: tourism demand is still strong—but more sensitive, more selective, and more dynamic,” she said in a statement on Thursday.

Angara-Mathay said domestic tourism remains the foundation of the industry, serving as both a stabilizer during global uncertainty and a driver of regional development.

Planned initiatives include strengthening regional travel circuits, promoting short-break travel, and expanding community-based, cultural, and wellness tourism offerings.

The tourism chief also identified high-impact sectors that generate greater economic spillover and longer stays as priorities. These include meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE); culture and heritage tourism; gastronomy tourism; wellness tourism; farm and agri-tourism; cruise tourism; and events and entertainment tourism.

Target Asian tourists

To further boost arrivals and attract investments, Angara-Mathay said the department will focus on key source markets such as China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states.

She added that efforts in long-haul markets, including North America, Australia, and Europe, will also continue.

“These markets will be managed with targeted strategies based on demand patterns, connectivity, and conversion performance,” she said.

The department is also pushing reforms in e-visa systems, entry facilitation, and travel processing efficiency.

Parallel investments in data systems and digital platforms are expected to support real-time decision-making and improve market responsiveness.