Domestic tourism surges over holiday long break

Over the extended holiday break, the Philippines observed a surge in domestic tourism, which the Department of Tourism (DOT) attributed to the "continued strength" of local travel as Filipinos flocked to beaches, heritage sites, mountain retreats, and island destinations nationwide.

- Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/IHM

The holiday exodus, the DOT added, reaffirmed domestic tourism as a vital pillar of the country's tourism industry during peak seasons.

The DOT then named Boracay Island in Western Visayas as the top destination, recording a strong visitor turnout and logging the highest number of arrivals, with 118,745 tourists from December 15 to 28, 2025.

The region also benefited from cruise tourism during the holidays, with Star Navigator and Norwegian Sun making multiple port calls and bringing in thousands of passengers and crew, further boosting local tourism activity.

Central Visayas also posted robust numbers, with Cebu City welcoming 102,124 visitors and Panglao Island in Bohol receiving 62,240 tourists.

It said that the sustained influx reflected the resilience of domestic travel in the region despite having faced a series of natural calamities earlier in the year before the Yuletide season kicked in.