Filipinos’ appetite for domestic travel is proving to be the anchor of Philippine tourism, filling in the numbers as foreign tourists shy away.
This is obvious at Philippine Tour Operators Association’s (Philtoa) Philippine Travel Mart over the last weekend where heavy thunderstorms did not deter the public from seeking discounts and new places to explore.
Philtoa vice president Mary Ann Ong observed that emerging destinations like Quezon Province and General Santos City in Mindanao have crafted experiential moments in a more personal way that domestic tourists now want.
The Department of Tourism reported that foreign arrivals to the Philippines inched up 3.7 per cent to 4.11 million for the period January-August this year, over the same period in 2025. That’s still far from the pre-pandemic high of 8.2 million in 2019 as well as this year’s goal of seven million.
In stark contrast, domestic trips exceeded 100 million last year. Philippine population is over 100 million.
Philtoa president Maria Lourdes Japson said “Filipinos have not stopped traveling, they have simply become more discerning” and “seeking authentic and meaningful experiences”.
Rajah Tours’ chief, Jojo Clemente, agreed that “domestic travel will always be strong but is really price-sensitive”
“In general, rates must ideally be more affordable considering the economic state of the country at the moment,” he told TTG Asia.
Clemente also said the domestic tourism campaign, Discover more to love the Philippines, recently launched by the Department of Tourism amid slow foreign arrivals, is good “but a campaign is only as good as its components”.
Aileen Clemente, president and CEO of Rajah Travel, shared that “the campaign cannot be done by one entity alone – adoption is really a major part of the game.”
She suggested: “The campaign is louder and also free if it is spread for use by everyone. If there is brand standards and terms of use, that should really be helpful. It has to be a campaign that doesn’t change regularly.”
