The Department of Tourism (DOT) is optimistic about attracting more foreign tourists as visitor arrivals show a 9.13 percent increase in January.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 2025 Travel Tour Expo on Friday, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said inbound tourism grew last month compared to the same period in 2024.

Latest data from the DOT showed that a total of 626,900 visited the country last month, higher than the 574,439 inbound visitors from January last year.

“What that indicates is a very strong and robust start for Philippine tourism and for our destinations. This nine percent growth, we are seeing it across the board in terms of our source markets,” she said.

“So, we’re very excited, the demand for Philippine tourism is increasing.”

Frasco said the DOT is hopeful Manila could sustain this trajectory, especially with interventions in terms of the barriers to entry.

The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) said trends and the behavior among travelers have dramatically evolved over the years, with more of them preferring experiential travel and destinations that have good food –offerings that the Philippines all have.

“I think social media also changed the demography or the market —travelers now are looking for more experiential, they want good experience (regardless of) the price, and also lahat ng travelers ngayon ay naging foodie, so that’s a big change (almost all of the travelers have become a foodie in a way, so that’s a big change),” PTAA Vice President Jaison Yang said in a separate press conference.

Domestically, he said, Boracay is still the most in-demand destination while Siargao, Bohol, and Siquijor follow in terms of popularity.

“Siguro kung magkaroon ng (If there would be) more flights to Siargao that would compete with Boracay rates, it would even surpass Boracay,” he added.

On top of promotions, Frasco said the DOT is also working to make travel for foreign tourists easier, especially for the country’s top market, by training more South Korean-speaking tourism call center agents.

The DOT, she said, is now in the works of adding more foreign language-speaking agents, including Mandarin speakers.

“We view this as an opportunity also to further attract and grow our global markets, because if you are able to provide the convenience of call center agent that speaks the language spoken by this foreign tourist, it’s easier for us to convey information about our destinations,” she said.

The agency is setting up first aid centers across major tourist destinations, including La Union, Boracay, Bohol, and Palawan.

In 2024, the Philippines recorded some 5.94 million in visitor arrivals, about 510,000 of whom are overseas Filipinos. (PNA)