Locals account for 80% of tourism receipts – expert

MANILA, Philippines — Local travelers help boost tourism in the Philippines, according to an expert studying tourism.

“Historically, tourism in the Philippines is driven by locals. 80% of tourism receipts are coming from domestic tourism,” said John Paolo Rivera, associate director of the Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism, a research center at the Asian Institute of Management.

More domestic travelers visiting the Philippines’ tourist attractions than foreigners could be considered a “unique characteristic” of the country’s tourism industry, he said.

Rivera also noted Filipinos are “moving towards travel experience that is educational,” emerging from the pandemic that mandated the public to isolate in their houses for around three years.

“Especially through social media, tourism has evolved, with travelers looking for educational insights about certain destinations,” he said.

While sun and beach remain the top feature of Philippine tourism, local and foreign travelers “try to balance it off,” according to Rajah Travel Corp. president Aileen Clemente.

“People don’t just go to the beach, but they also go for the culture and heritage of each destination,” she said.

In 2022, the Philippine Statistics Authority revealed that out of the P1.87 trillion spent for tourism in the Philippines, P1.5 trillion was attributed to domestic tourism spending.

It also recorded a total of 102 million trips within the Philippines.