Domestic tourism picking up slack from faltering international visitor numbers

DOMESTIC TOURISM has been bridging the gap opened up by the dearth of international arrivals, which are likely to decline this year, analysts said.

- By Justine Irish D. Tabile Reporter

"Domestic tourism has been the key stabilizer for the tourism industry as international arrivals lagged," according to John Paolo R. Rivera, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies.

Speaking via Viber, Mr. Rivera said: "When global travel took longer to recover post-pandemic, local demand helped fill the gap where families, balikbayans (returning overseas residents), and weekend travelers sustained hotel stays, food services, transport, and leisure activities."

He said the domestic base helped support jobs and businesses at tourist destinations but also kept cash flowing through the ecosystem despite softer foreign visitor numbers.

In a statement on Monday, the Department of Tourism (DoT) said domestic tourism surged during the holiday season, with some holiday destinations recording over 100,000 arrivals.