By Judy Partlow Flores
DUMAGUETE CITY – Tourist arrivals in the Negros Island Region (NIR) reached 2.69 million in 2025, generating more than PHP32.4 billion in tourist spending, a Department of Tourism (DOT) official said Tuesday.
Shadylyn Mae Duran, DOT-NIR supervising tourism operations officer, said during a forum that the region recorded a total of 2,691,191 tourist arrivals across its three provinces and one highly urbanized city last year.
Negros Oriental logged the highest number of arrivals at 873,301, closely followed by Bacolod City with 873,573, while Negros Occidental recorded 662,048 and Siquijor 282,269.
Tourist spending across the region grew by 4.6 percent in 2025 compared with the previous year, Duran said.
She served as a guest panelist during a forum in Dumaguete City marking the 37th National Statistics Month, led by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Duran underscored the importance of reliable statistics in helping the DOT develop tourism programs and policies that benefit local communities while protecting natural and cultural resources.
“From the perspective of the Department of Tourism, this celebration highlights the importance of statistics as our guide in developing tourism that benefits our local communities, adapts to challenges, and protects our natural and cultural resources for future generations,” she said.
Duran said tourism data provides evidence-based insights into the industry, including the number and origins of visitors, their activities and spending, and the economic, social and environmental impacts of tourism on local communities.
“With reliable data, we can develop tourist programs and policies that will address the actual needs and opportunities of our region and our destinations,” she added. (PNA)
