Philippines Tourism

Warmer ties with China and increased investment may augur a period of sustained growth for the Philippines’ tourism sector, further bolstering its already significant contribution to the economy.

Halal tourism looks set to become a key component of wider sector growth in the Philippines, as the government moves to support the segment’s development through a major investment drive.

After a challenging year for tourism, the Philippines is hoping that an international marketing campaign, major events and further regional integration as part of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) will provide a boost to momentum in 2015.  

While two major natural disasters took their toll on the Philippines’ tourism industry during the latter part of 2013, strong overall demand from both the domestic and international markets helped the industry edge close to double-digit growth for the full year.

New investments in the Philippines’ gaming industry are expected to boost tourism arrivals and bring inbound visitor numbers close to the 10m the government has targeted for the middle of the decade. On the down side, simmering disputes with some neighbours could make this goal harder to achieve and weaken the push to make the country the casino capital of the region.

With 2011 having seen a spike in visitor arrivals, the Philippines’ tourism sector is moving ahead with plans to become a major engine for the country’s economic growth.