Cebu tourist arrivals surge past 1-M mark

Cebu province recorded more than 1.08-million tourist arrivals during the first eight months of the year, representing a 12.8 percent increase over the same period in 2025, official tourism statistics showed Monday.

Data released by the Cebu Provincial Tourism Office showed total visitor arrivals reached 1,080,809 from January through August, up by 122,492 from the 958,317 arrivals logged during the corresponding eight-month period last year.

Domestic travelers accounted for the bulk of visitors at 838,575, reflecting a 9.2 percent year-on-year increase. Foreign tourist arrivals saw a steeper surge, rising 27.3 percent to 242,108.

Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro stated that her administration has intensified promotional campaigns in both domestic and international markets while lobbying airlines for expanded direct flights into Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

“Improved connectivity could create greater opportunities not only for tourism but also for business, investment, and people-to-people exchanges,” Baricuatro told DAILY TRIBUNE.

She cited that international route expansion was a central focus during the 19th East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Federation General Assembly hosted by Cebu in September.

South Korea remained Cebu’s top foreign source market, generating 60,518 arrivals and posting the largest absolute growth with an additional 13,630 visitors.

The United States ranked second with 22,866 arrivals, followed closely by Japan with 22,223. China and the United Kingdom also posted significant growth among 53 expanding foreign markets.