DOT: Philippine tops Asean neighbors in tourism GDP, job generation

January 31, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines stood out among its neighbors in Southeast Asia when it comes to the impact of tourism on economy and employment, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said yesterday.

In a statement, the DOT said the Philippines “ranked first in terms of tourism GDP (gross domestic product) valued at $91.8 billion, the highest in ASEAN,” which is equivalent to 19.9 percent of the country’s economy.

Citing the 2025 World Travel and Tourism Council Economic Impact Report, the DOT said the country’s tourism GDP exceeded those of its neighbors including Indonesia at $71.7 billion, Thailand at $67.3 billion and Singapore at $54.6 billion.

It said that with 11.22 million tourism-related jobs or 23 percent of the country’s employment, the Philippines ranked second in the region in terms of the impact of tourism on job generation.

“These figures clearly show that the Philippines ranks among ASEAN’s leading tourism economies… Tourism remains a powerful driver of inclusive growth, job creation and economic resilience for our country,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said.

In a media briefing on Wednesday, DOT Undersecretary Verna Buensuceso also said that the Philippines welcomed over 6.4 million foreign travelers in 2025, earning an estimated P694 billion from inbound visitor spending.

“It also confirms that our strategies are working and we’re steadily positioning the country as a tourism powerhouse in Asia,” she said.

As ASEAN chair this year, the Philippines hosted the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Cebu City this week where the ASEAN Tourism Sector Plan 2026-2030 was rolled out.

The five-year plan aims to “enrich visitor experience, empower enterprises, whether small or large scale, and ensure that ASEAN remains competitive in the global market,” President Marcos said in a speech read by Frasco during the opening ceremony.

Frasco said the plan would “specifically see the region first being marketed as a unified tourism destination, and also to make ASEAN’s reach easier in terms of accessibility by air and sea among travelers.”

She added it would also ensure that “our destinations are not plagued by over-tourism, for example, that will lead to the degradation of our natural assets.”