From the Philippines with love

A lot of people crowd source over the internet on where to go in Southeast Asia and so far, based on what I have seen, many people say they either choose Vietnam or Thailand as preferred destinations. Tourism in the Philippines is an important sector for our economy and in 2026, the country faces many challenges as it struggles with major roadblocks in the industry that include high cost of travel and infrastructure concerns.

One particular focus when it comes to tourism in the country is on its marketing strategies where self-promotion by certain personalities have been observed. It was noted that last year, Philippine tourism declined 2.2 percent, with only 5.24 million arrivals, 37 percent lower compared to pre-pandemic levels. While we suffer from infrastructure constraints as well as high cost of domestic travel, some studies noted that the Philippines must also find ways to diversify its tourism sources, improve branding and address execution gaps to show exactly how unique the Philippines is as a destination for tourists.

There are many reasons to visit the Philippines but sadly, we seem to be moving in reverse due to our lack of competitiveness compared to our neighbors. Alternatively, a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies also noted that the rebound on tourism after the pandemic was driven by domestic travel rather than foreign tourists. In short, our international arrivals have lagged behind those of our neighbors in the region due to the constraints that have been pointed out even prior to the pandemic.

The Philippines is such a great destination but sadly, there is so much interruption such as delayed flights among other factors that include our airports, long bus rides, uneven roads and ferry services. All of these setbacks may be appealing to the adventurous but not to the more conservative type of tourist. We also have the visitor experience where, in my opinion, we should have been marketing our destinations as experiences rather than just sights, considering the Philippines has a whole lot of stories to tell.

Corregidor, for example. I remember how I had the opportunity to talk more with the tour guide who shared not only the basic tour stories, as he applied what he learned from his elders and from other tourists he had earlier guided. Such an experience makes the trip more interesting, not to mention marketable.

New ideas also have the potential for making the package tours more appealing. Take the Vigan port as another example: how many Filipinos know that apart from it being a UNESCO World Heritage site, its port has historical significance as once being part of the Silk Route?

We love our beaches and I truly have never seen anything more beautiful than the waters of the Philippines yet, locals many times do not understand the impact they have on the blue economy and while this may be true, how many of us know the potential we have in biotechnology to support coastal life development?

We really have so much to learn and it is very frustrating considering we have, within our own heritage, influences from Spain, China and the United States that carry a huge amount of wealth and knowledge but have sadly become missed opportunities for us to explore new ideas that will make the industry better. I love the Philippines and I am certain many of us do too, which is why we feel the frustration about this sector.

The opportunities are there and we must act now, especially since the Philippines is chairing the ASEAN and hosting regional meetings. We do not lack attractions but unfortunately, we lack the ability to make it clear to tourists why the Philippines is the best destination to visit. We are full of slogans and our issues go beyond branding. We need to breathe in new and innovative solutions that will make the industry stronger and more competitive in the future. We need to let our people tell their stories and have local governments showcase their vision as part of one of the largest service industries in the country and buy in on the national government’s plan for sustainable development for tourism.

The challenges are real but while these exist, we cannot afford to miss out on opportunities that will allow our regional neighbors or even the rest of the world to know about our country. We need our people to share our culture by providing them with the platforms that will enable them to thrive in the industry, whether they be from Luzon, the Visayas or Mindanao. Love is about the ability to go beyond oneself. It is all about purpose, service and connection to something greater than one’s own personal needs. Loving our country is the same and tourism is the way to steward our love for the rest of the world to see.