Cebu gears up for tourist influx

MANILA, Philippines — The province of Cebu is reaping gains from its intensified tourism promotions and stronger international connectivity as tourist arrivals grew double digits in eight months this year.

Data from the Cebu Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) showed that the province logged in 1,080,809 tourist arrivals during the eight-month period, up from the 958,317 arrivals during the same period in 2025, representing an overall increase of 12.78 percent.

Domestic arrivals reached 838,575, up by 9.19 percent from the previous year, while foreign arrivals climbed to 242,108, representing a significant 27.28-percent increase.

«“These numbers tell us that Cebu continues to attract people — not only because of our beautiful destinations, but because of the experiences, culture and hospitality that our communities offer,” Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro said.

At the same time, Baricuatro has consistently pushed for stronger direct international air connectivity, recognizing that easier access is critical to sustaining the province’s tourism growth.

During Cebu’s hosting of the 19th East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Federation (EATOF) General Assembly in September, connectivity was again among the key issues raised by Baricuatro in her engagements with participating provinces and regions.

The governor specifically raised the possibility of establishing more direct flights between Cebu and EATOF member regions, saying stronger connectivity could open greater opportunities not only for tourism but also for trade, business, investment and people-to-people exchanges.

Provincial tourism data showed Cordova recording the highest number of tourist arrivals from January to August with 171,552, followed by Santa Fe with 120,197 and Daanbantayan with 59,435.

South Korea remained Cebu’s largest foreign source market with 60,518 arrivals, followed by the United States with 22,866 and Japan with 22,223.