Travel and tourism had contributed USD91.8 billion to the Philippine economy, according to the 2025 World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Economic Impact Report (EIR).

The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Friday said this report reflected the sector’s importance in driving growth and economic resilience in the country.

The report was formally presented by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in a recent meeting among Southeast Asian tourism ministers in Cebu City.

Tourism, it said, accounted for 19.9 percent of the Philippine economy, placing the country among the most tourism-significant economies in Southeast Asia, with major economies such as Indonesia (USD71.7 billion), Thailand (USD67.3 billion), and Singapore (USD54.6 billion) trailing behind.

The country also ranked among the region’s top tourism job generators, supporting at least 11.2 million nationwide and representing 23 percent of total national employment, exceeded only by Cambodia.

ADB Economist Sanchita Basu Das, in her presentation, pointed out that tourism continues to play a vital role in economic growth and encouraged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to focus on increasing revenue per arrival under its new action plan covering 2026 to 2030.

Southeast Asia’s average receipts per arrival, she said, reached USD1,085 in 2024, but still trail North America with USD2,165, Central America with USD1,441, and Northern Europe USD1,510.

In the Philippines, receipts per arrival was at USD1,631 as of September 2025, higher than USD1,184 in 2019.

In addition, the ADB proposed striving for an increased intra-regional share of arrivals from 38 percent of total to 45 percent by 2030.

ASEAN recorded approximately 144 million international visitor arrivals last year, exceeding the pre-pandemic number of 143.6 million in 2019.

At the closing of the 2026 ASEAN Tourism Forum on Friday night, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the Philippines is ready to take advantage of ASEAN’s eagerness to expand regional connectivity and implement actionable measures to establish an ASEAN tourism that is both inclusive and resilient to shocks.

The Philippines, she said, is also hoping to double down on its route development, especially among Southeast Asian neighbors.

“In Cebu, I was recently updated that there are already 13 new international routes, and several of these are actually from the ASEAN region. And the same can be seen in Manila in terms of the at least 23 international flights there,” she added. (PNA)