Let’s be clear here. The Philippines has been a poor competitor on international tourism and it has been left behind by several of its Southeast Asian neighbors (for reference click here and here). When it comes to Vietnam, there are more Filipinos who visited that country while the Philippines could not attract an equal number of Vietnamese visitors. Filipino interest on visiting Vietnam is also very strong.
For the year 2025, the Philippines attracted only 5.94 million foreign tourists while Vietnam attracted a record-high 21.2 million foreign tourists.
During the recent state visit of Vietnam President To Lamb here in the Philippines hosted by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., a key agreement was made between them to enhance tourism cooperation and improving air connectivity for the next three years, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA article. Some parts in boldface…
The Philippines and Vietnam have agreed to strengthen tourism cooperation and improve air connectivity following the signing of a Tourism Cooperation Program covering 2026 to 2029.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said both countries would work to increase flight frequencies and facilitate greater tourism exchanges.
The move comes as Vietnam has become one of the fastest-growing destinations for Filipino travelers, while arrivals from Vietnam to the Philippines have also continued to rise.
“Building upon a strong performance in 2025, which saw nearly half a million Filipino travelers going to Vietnam and a rising number of Vietnamese tourists coming to our shores, we have agreed to work closely to enhance air connectivity and increase commercial flight frequencies,” Marcos said.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the new agreement made between the Philippines and Vietnam will lead to more foreign travelers benefitting both countries? Do you think that European travelers who transit through Vietnam’s international airports will eventually make their way to the Philippines in greater numbers? Do you believe that the Vietnamese have any great interest in visiting the Philippines?
You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.
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