Tourist arrivals in Surigao City, both domestic and foreign, increased by 18.5 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year.

Data provided by the Surigao City Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office indicated that a total of 250,616 arrivals were registered in the city last year, compared to 211,479 logged in 2024.

“The annual sporting events, such as the marathons, the triathlon, and the trail run, held last year were among the factors behind the increase in tourist arrivals in the city,” said Roselyn Merlin, tourism chief of Surigao City, in an interview on Thursday.

Another factor is the Bonok-Bonok Festival, held every September, and the yearly commemoration of the Battle of Surigao Strait, held every October, both of which regularly draw domestic and foreign visitors to the city.

“The city also serves as a hub and center for commerce and gateway of the two major tourism destinations in the Caraga Region, the Siargao and Dinagat Islands,” Merlin said.

Visitors to the two island destinations, she noted, often spend a night or two in Surigao City before proceeding to their destinations.

“Most of the visited spots in the city are our coastal areas, such as the Day-asan Water Village and Mangrove Forest, the beaches in Ipil and Mabua, and the Memorial Shrine of the Battle of Surigao Strait in Punta Bilar,” Merlin said.

She also recognized the aggressive tourism marketing and promotional campaigns by the hotels and resorts in the city as among the contributing factors to last year’s arrivals.

Domestic tourist arrivals in Surigao City last year were recorded at 243,351, compared to 205,251 in the previous year, while foreign arrivals reached 7,265 last year from 6,228 in 2024. (PNA)