The Philippines has passed five million visitor arrivals so far in 2026, according to figures from the Department of Tourism. Arrivals reached five million between 1 January and 4 November, up 3.74 per cent on the 4.82 million recorded in the same period last year. Of the total, 4.57 million were foreign visitors, while 428,193 were overseas Filipinos returning home.

United States leads as China surges

The United States remained the largest source market, with 986,343 arrivals, up 7.1 per cent on last year. South Korea followed with 870,980 arrivals, down 17.71 per cent, while Japan contributed 429,544. China recorded 394,394 arrivals, a rise of 69.78 per cent, and Australia supplied 291,811 visitors.

Push to keep visa-free entry

Chinese visitors may stay for 14 days without a visa under a policy introduced on 16 January 2026, which is due to expire on 15 January 2027. Acting Tourism Secretary Bernardita Angara-Mathay is pressing for an extension, urging the Department of Foreign Affairs to announce it in time for the Spring Festival holiday from 5 to 13 February 2027. The policy is under review over concerns it could be misused, but she said monitoring should be strengthened rather than the scheme scrapped, noting that Chinese visitors spend more and stay longer.

The department expects a stronger fourth quarter, helped by the ASEAN Summit and the JCI World Congress in Manila this month, which could bring about 10,000 more arrivals. Its official target is 6.7 million visitors for the year, against the 6.4 million recorded in 2025.