July 19, 2025

Recently, a viral social media post lamenting the Philippines’ seventh-place ranking in tourist arrivals among Southeast Asian nations has sparked introspection among Filipinos. Some analysts argue that the decline in tourism is closely linked to the ongoing tensions between the Philippines and China.
 
In 2019 the Philippines attracted 1.74 million Chinese tourists to enjoy its scores of warm, beautiful beaches and unique natural sights like the Chocolate Hills of Bohol and Banaue Rice Terraces in cool, up mountain Baguio, spending $1,000 to $1,200 each totaling up to $2 billion. In 2024 Chinese tourist arrivals to the country plunged to a little over 300,000, a precipitous 80 percent drop despite post-Covid tourism recovery in other ASEAN countries.

Chinese tourism to the Philippines has been on a roller coaster the past decade and a half, experiencing ups and downs following the trends of geopolitical and diplomatic directions of the Philippine government. 

Read more:

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202507/1338730.shtml