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Philippines struggles to win back Chinese tourists as regional rivals surge
New data shows Chinese arrivals to the Philippines hit 312,000 last year, only 18 per cent of pre-pandemic levels
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The Philippines is lagging behind its Southeast Asian peers in winning back Chinese tourists, with arrivals still only a fraction of pre-pandemic levels, according to new regional research.
Just over 312,000 Chinese tourists visited the Philippines in 2024, equivalent to about 18 per cent of 2019’s visitor numbers, the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (Amro) said in a publication released on Thursday.
Chinese visitors accounted for only 5 per cent of the country’s international tourist market, compared to over 21 per cent before the Covid-19 pandemic.
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“Among Asean peers, the Philippines has experienced the weakest recovery in Chinese arrivals,” Amro said.
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Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore were the top three Southeast Asian destinations for Chinese tourists in 2024, drawing about 3.3 million, 3.7 million and just over 3 million visitors respectively.
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