Government observes growth in tourism spending, investments in 2023

MANILA, Philippines — The government saw a surge in spending by tourists within the Philippines, as well as investments and spending by the government for tourism, which the Department of Tourism (DOT) said all helped grow the Philippines’ tourism industry in 2023. 

Domestic tourism expenditure, or spending by people traveling within the Philippines including locals, grew by 72.3 percent from 2022 to 2023, according to the 2023 Philippine Tourism Satellite Account of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

From P1.55 trillion in domestic tourism spending in 2022, the figure rose to P2.67 trillion last year, the report noted.

The increase in spending by visitors within the Philippines “saw Filipinos love their own country,” said Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco.

She added it also manifested the enthusiasm for the tourism sector and the growing interest in lesser known, emerging destinations.

The observation aligned with the directive of President Marcos through the National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028 to “expand tourism opportunities to as far and wide in the country as possible.”

Aside from domestic tourism spending, the PSA also saw a growth in tourism gross fixed capital formation and tourism collective consumption.