The Department of Tourism closed 2025 on a high note, crediting tourism workers, partners, and stakeholders for a year defined by global breakthroughs in gastronomy, expanded connectivity, upgraded tourism infrastructure, and people-centered services that reinforced the Philippines’ standing as a resilient and competitive destination.
From international culinary recognition to new gateways and inclusive visitor programs, the year reflected a tourism strategy anchored on collaboration, service excellence, and long-term value creation. These gains, the DOT said, were achieved despite recurring challenges such as severe weather events and intensifying regional competition.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said the sector’s performance underscored the collective effort of frontliners, local governments, private enterprises, and communities under the administration of Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.. She emphasized that the industry’s progress in 2025 was built on resilience and a shared commitment to service, with tourism continuing to generate jobs, livelihoods, and economic opportunities nationwide.
A defining highlight of the year was the arrival of the MICHELIN Guide in the Philippines on October 30, a milestone that placed Manila and Cebu on the global culinary map. A total of 108 establishments earned recognition, including one Two-Star restaurant, eight One-Star recipients, 25 Bib Gourmand selections, and 74 MICHELIN-Selected restaurants, alongside special awards for sustainability, service, young chefs, and mixology.
Momentum in gastronomy continued with the Philippines hosting the first-ever Terra Madre Asia and the Pacific in Bacolod City, bringing together producers, chefs, policymakers, and advocates to promote sustainable food systems across the region. Earlier in the year, the DOT rolled out its 2024–2028 Food and Gastronomy Tourism Roadmap, introduced Local Market Tourism as a new sub-product, and mounted SALAAM 2025, a Muslim travel trade expo that generated about ₱1.8 million in sales and highlighted the growing promise of Halal and Muslim-friendly tourism.
These initiatives reflected what the DOT described as deepening public-private collaboration aimed at broadening tourism’s reach and value chain. Looking ahead, preparations are accelerating for the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026 in Cebu and the UN Tourism Global Forum on Gastronomy, positioning the Philippines as an active leader in shaping regional and global tourism conversations.
Connectivity also saw significant gains, with 19 new international direct flight routes—both regular and chartered—launched in 2025. These routes linked key gateways such as Manila, Cebu, Clark, Iloilo, and Kalibo to cities across Asia, Oceania, North America, and Eastern Europe. Combined with programs like the Cruise Visa Waiver, the DOT expects these developments to support stronger arrivals growth, longer stays, and wider economic spillovers.
At the core of the year’s achievements was a push for inclusive, people-centered tourism services. Two flagship gateway initiatives were launched: the Transit Tour Program and Medical Concierge Services. The Transit Tour Program offers eligible travelers from visa-free countries with at least an eight-hour layover a curated introduction to Metro Manila, while the Medical Concierge Service supports medical and wellness travelers through personalized assistance and access to accredited facilities nationwide.
The DOT also prioritized the welfare of tourism workers, assisting more than 40,000 individuals affected by calamities through medical, social protection, and emergency aid. Support for micro, small, and medium enterprises expanded through the Turismo Asenso Loan Program, which recorded 1,025 applications by December 2025, and the Bayanihan sa Bukas na May Pag-asa sa Turismo program, which provided cash assistance and training to over 2,600 beneficiaries.
For travelers, services were strengthened through the 24/7 Tourist Assistance Call Center, which handled over 23,000 transactions across multiple platforms and now includes Mandarin- and Korean-speaking agents. Fourteen Tourist Rest Areas were completed nationwide, offering essential amenities and local products, while cruise tourism recorded 136 calls carrying more than 56,000 passengers and over 15,000 crew members.
Grassroots tourism development gained fresh momentum with the second cycle of the Tourism Champions Challenge, which allocated ₱399 million to fund high-impact local projects across 21 local government units. Stakeholder engagement also expanded through the Philippine Experience Program, now implemented in 13 regions and translated into curated tour packages on Klook.
Inclusivity remained a central theme, with 51 DOT-recognized Muslim-Friendly Accommodation Establishments operating nationwide by year-end, reflecting steady growth in Halal-ready tourism offerings.
These advances translated into jobs and skills development, with the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence program training more than 409,000 individuals to date, including over 140,000 in 2025 alone. Additional trainings were delivered through the Tourism Industry Skills Program, while tourist police deployments and support for tour guides helped strengthen safety and service standards on the ground. Innovation and education were further encouraged through the Tourism Start-Up Challenge 2025, offering multimillion-peso grants to promising tourism ventures.
Despite global headwinds and multiple travel advisories from key markets, the Philippines recorded between 5.86 million and 5.94 million foreign visitor arrivals in 2025, depending on data sources, with total foreign visitor arrivals—including returning overseas Filipinos—reaching over 6.48 million. Preliminary estimates placed international visitor spending at around ₱694 billion, underscoring tourism’s continued economic impact beyond sheer arrival numbers.
Guided by the National Tourism Development Plan 2023–2028, the DOT said it remains focused on improving connectivity, enhancing safety, strengthening the workforce, and elevating service standards—ensuring that Philippine tourism moves forward not just bigger, but more inclusive, competitive, and resilient.
