foreign visitors – Author Carlo Carrasco

Vietnam Collects Over $9 Billion From Foreign Tourists In First Half Of 2026

July 13, 2026July 6, 2026carlocarrasco

Following its current success on attracting tourists from around the world during the first half of this year, Vietnam raked in $9 billion in the said period, according to a news report by VnExpress.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of VnExpress. Some parts in boldface…

Vietnam collected more than US$9 billion from foreign visitors in the first six months, while Vietnamese spent $8 billion abroad in the same period.

The country recorded a tourism trade surplus of $950 million, compared with a surplus of $480 million in 2025 and a deficit of $380 million in 2024, according to the General Statistics Office.

Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and President To Lam, in a meeting with government bodies on Saturday, called for a more detailed analysis of the country’s services trade balance and urged the development of a strategy to rebalance Vietnam’s tourism sector in the coming years.

He said achieving a larger tourism surplus would require upgrading the industry so that international visitors spend more during their stays, while encouraging more Vietnamese travelers to choose domestic destinations.

The country welcomed nearly 12.3 million international visitors in the first six months, up 14.9% year-on-year.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh said the government would continue efforts to develop tourism into a genuine key economic sector.

She said the mutually supportive relationship between tourism and related industries should be strengthened, with the sector shifting from a growth model focused on scale and visitor numbers to one emphasizing quality, higher value-added services, creative products, and distinctive travel experiences.

Vietnam’s tourism industry will also target higher-spending visitors and longer-stay travelers, she added.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? With tourism booming in their country, do you think Vietnam can collect at least $20 billion from foreign tourists by the end of this year?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Philippines Supreme Court Upholds Law Granting VAT Refund To Foreign Tourists

July 12, 2026July 6, 2026carlocarrasco

Remember the law granting value-added tax refund (VAT refund) to foreign tourists signed a few years ago? That law was challenged and recently the Supreme Court of the Philippines upheld the constitutionality of Republic Act 12079 (the act creating a VAT refund mechanism for non-resident tourists), according to a news report by GMA News.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of GMA News. Some parts in boldface…

The Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the constitutionality of a law that grants value-added tax (VAT) refunds on select local purchases by non-resident foreign tourists.

In a 30-page decision, the SC En Banc dismissed a petition challenging the validity of Republic Act 12079, or an act creating a VAT refund mechanism for non-resident tourists, adding Section 112-A to the National Internal Revenue Code.

“Granting VAT refund to foreign tourists was not arbitrarily done. It is a policy decision based on legitimate state interests, i.e. the need to remain competitive as a global tourist destination,” the SC said.

“In fine, foreign tourists may be granted privileges and benefits that are not extended to Filipino citizens, so as long as these distinctions are based on reasonable and justifiable classifications, as in here,” it added.

According to the SC, the VAT refund applies to goods brought from duly accredited stores and taken out of the country within 60 days from purchase. The goods must be priced at least P3,000 per transaction.

Meanwhile, the SC said Section 5 of the law’s implementing rules and regulations limit the refund to retail and tangible goods, including clothing, apparel, electronics, gadgets, jewelry, accessories, souvenirs, food or non-food consumables, and other items intended for personal use.

The petitioner, however, argued that the law violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection as it excludes Filipino citizens.

For its part, the SC said equal protection does not require identical treatment for all persons.

It said the act also distinguishes foreign tourists from Filipino citizens.

According to the SC, the VAT refund system follows the basic rule of VAT that goods are taxed where they are consumed. If the goods are consumed in the Philippines, they remain subject to Philippine VAT.

Meanwhile, the SC added that VAT refund for foreign tourists is a well-established international practice.

“The Philippines is among the last few countries in Asia to adopt such a system. Our Asian neighbors, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Japan have long implemented this VAT refund mechanism for foreign tourists,” it said.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you agree with the Supreme Court’s decision on the law about VAT refund for foreign tourists? Apart from the VAT refund for foreign tourists, what problems that plagued the Philippine tourism industry should the government solve this year?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

Vietnam Attracts 12.3 Million Foreign Tourists In 1st Half Of 2026

July 10, 2026July 4, 2026carlocarrasco

Tourism in Vietnam continues to boom as the nation attracted more than twelve million foreign tourists in the first half of this year, according to a news report by VnExpress.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of VnExpress. Some parts in boldface…

Vietnam received 12.3 million international visitors in the first six months of the year, a 14.9% increase from the same period last year, fueled by the country’s reputation as a safe destination amid global geopolitical uncertainty.

In the second quarter alone, the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam reached 5.49 million, up 18.2% year-on-year, according to the General Statistics Office.

Mainland China remained the largest source of visitors so far this year with 2.69 million, followed by South Korea with 2.1 million. The rest of the top 10 were Russia, Taiwan, the U.S., Cambodia, India, Japan, the Phillippines and Australia.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism attributed the strong growth to the country’s reputation as a safe and stable destination amid global political uncertainty.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? What do you think makes Vietnam very attractive to visitors from around the world? Have you thought about visiting Vietnam soon?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

New Campaign To Boost Domestic Tourism In The Philippines

June 25, 2026June 22, 2026carlocarrasco

In a serious attempt to boost domestic tourism in the Philippines, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has a new campaign titled “Discover More to Love”, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

This new move by the DOT makes sense since it is very difficult for the nation to attract foreign tourists. The DOT admitted that Vietnam and other destinations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are more affordable for foreign travelers.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is leading a new campaign called “Discover More to Love” to boost domestic travel within the Philippines.

Among its major features is the introduction of curated and discounted travel-related packages by local tourism stakeholders, including several hotels from across the country.

In an interview over the weekend, Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said the campaign would not replace but instead complement the DOT’s primary tourism branding “Love the Philippines,” with the intention of allowing tourists to define their travel experience in their “own personal way.”

“(The thrust is) local muna pero hopefully, we will expand that to international (The thrust would be initially domestic, but hopefully, we will expand that internationally),” she said.

“The Filipinos love to travel, especially Gen Z and the others, it’s an adventure for them, and we want them to be sound board on what else we can do to improve.”

Domestic travel remains a strong driver of tourism in the Philippines. Last year alone, it generated at least PHP3.26 trillion in tourist spending, up by 3 percent from PHP3.16 trillion in 2024.

Beyond strengthening local travel, Angara-Mathay said the DOT is also stepping up efforts to recover the decrease in Korean travelers, while continuing to woo the rest of its top source markets.

She admitted that the competitive pricing in other Southeast Asian destinations is pulling in more Koreans, which traditionally has been the Philippines’ number one source market for foreign visitors.

“South Korea’s population is declining, but they’re travelers. Ngayon, ‘yong slot natin kinuha ng Vietnam, kinuha ng other ASEAN countries kasi kalahati lang ang kanilang cost to go there (Now, our slot has been taken by Vietnam and other ASEAN countries because it only costs half to go there),” she explained.

The DOT, for its part, she said, would continue engaging stakeholders to introduce and craft new “tour bundles” to make the cost of travel to the Philippines more affordable and “predictable.”

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the DOT’s new campaign will significant boost domestic tourism which itself has been thriving? Do you think it is possible for domestic tourism spending to reach P4 trillion this year?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

Vietnam Deploys Hundreds Of Soldiers To Work On New International Airport

June 22, 2026June 16, 2026carlocarrasco

To ensure the completion of the ambitious Long Thanh International Airport, Vietnam deployed hundreds of soldiers to work on it as a shortfall of workers was realized, according to a VnExpress news article. The new international airport has been scheduled for a December 2026 opening and it has been anticipated to handle most flights in 2027.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of VnExpress. Some parts in boldface…

Vietnam has deployed hundreds of soldiers to help build its largest airport, the VND336.63 trillion (US$12.8 billion) Long Thanh, as contractors scramble to cover a shortfall of nearly 2,000 workers before a year-end deadline to open the country’s new aviation hub.

The deployment signals the urgency around a flagship project that has already slipped past its original 2025 opening date.

Hundreds of officers and enlisted soldiers have been brought onto the site in Dong Nai City in the country’s south to reinforce a civilian workforce that has struggled to keep pace with one of Southeast Asia’s biggest construction projects.

The move was confirmed during a June 13 inspection by Construction Minister Tran Hong Minh, who was told by an Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) representative that more than 76% of the total project value had been completed.

The workforce has been topped up in recent weeks but still falls nearly 2,000 short of the roughly 9,000 workers the site needs, with several units calling in military personnel to bridge the gap.

The labor crunch reflects a wider squeeze in southern Vietnam, where a cluster of megaprojects is competing for the same pool of skilled construction workers.

The nearby Bien Hoa-Vung Tau expressway and the expansion of the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay expressway are pulling engineers and machine operators away from the airport, and the harsh conditions across the vast, largely open site have made workers hard to retain.

To claw back time before the rainy season, contractors have added engineers, workers and equipment and moved to round-the-clock construction in three shifts and four rotating crews, part of a 180-day campaign to accelerate to the finish.

The airport is now expected to be substantially complete and to begin trial operations in September, with commercial flights targeted for late 2026.

ACV said finishing work on the passenger terminal still lacks skilled technical labor, while other packages are short of machinery operators.

The investor has ordered contractors to staff up for day-and-night work, prioritizing foundation and stone-base work to limit disruption when the rains peak.

At the terminal, which Minh called the project’s “heart,” he urged crews to complete each task definitively, down to the smallest item, and to push outdoor work first to stay ahead of the weather.

The schedule could not slip, he said, and crews had to race against time.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think having hundreds of Vietnamese soldiers will be effective on completing the new international airport ahead of the December 2026 launch?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

America Is Currently Top Market Of Foreign Visitors For The Philippines

June 20, 2026June 19, 2026carlocarrasco

It is not a secret that the Philippines has been having trouble attracting visitors from overseas. There was a tourism boom in Southeast Asia in 2025 and the Philippines fell way behind its neighbors (note: Vietnam attracted over 21 million visitors while Indonesia attracted over 15 million). When it comes to foreign tourists counted in 2025, the Philippines attracted 8,375 less compared to 2024.

In fairness, domestic tourism here in the Philippines is thriving as Filipinos and their families do have a strong appetite for local travel and holidays. On the aspect of foreign tourism with statistics counted as of June 16 this year, the United States has emerged as the top market for the country, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippines has welcomed 2.9 million foreign visitors from January 1 to June 16, 2026, led by those from the United States, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said.

Preliminary figures released Thursday showed tourists from the U.S. reached 591,569 out of the country’s total inbound arrival of 2,955,014 during the period.

The DOT has yet to provide the full breakdown of top visitor arrivals, but said the U.S. “has now become our number one source market,” and it expects the figures to further grow.

At the general membership meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham) on June 17, Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said the DOT will intensify its push for more tourism and investment partnerships with the U.S.

“We no longer see tourism simply as promotion. We see it as a platform for long-term investment,” she said, citing as example the USD3.4 billion in investments, pipeline opportunities, and financial support the Philippines secured during President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s recent state visit to Japan.

“This is the direction we are pursuing — tourism as a connector sector that brings together aviation, infrastructure, healthcare, and regional development.”

The DOT, she said, will also work closely with relevant government agencies to improve and expand air connectivity across the country.

“To make this more systematic, we will convene regular airline and airport connectivity discussions with carriers, airports, stakeholders, and government agencies. The goal is simple: solve bottlenecks together and turn plans into actual flights,” she added.

At the same time, Angara-Mathay said DOT would sustain efforts to develop the Philippines’ high-value tourism segments such as meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), gastronomy, wellness, education, and retirement tourism.

“Once people can get here more easily, the next question is what kind of experience we offer them. And that brings me to high-value tourism. Our goal is not simply to bring in more visitors, but to make every visit more meaningful, longer stays, higher spending, and deeper engagement with our destinations and communities,” she said.

To put things in perspective, 2,955,014 foreign visitors attracted in the first 167 days of 2026 is equivalent to an average of 17,694.69 per day. At that rate, the Philippines could attract more than 6.4 million this year and exceed the 2025 count. However, the DOT did not specify if the current count excludes Filipinos with foreign citizenship (or dual citizenship) based overseas.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Were you surprised that the United States overtook South Korea as the top market of foreign visitors to the Philippines? Under the new leadership of the DOT, do you feel confident that improvements on attracting foreign visitors will happen this year? What do you think the Philippines has when it comes to attracting American tourists?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

Vietnam’s New International Airport Powers Up For December 2026 Launch

June 18, 2026June 12, 2026carlocarrasco

The ambitious Long Thanh International Airport of Vietnam was recently switched on using the main power supply which is a milestone and already the local authorities are working on a series of preparations needed for the planned December 2026 commercial launch, according to a VnExpress news report. It has been anticipated that the new international airport will handle most flights in 2027.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of VnExpress. Some parts in boldface…

Long Thanh airport, the VND336.63 trillion (US$12.8 billion) project set to become Vietnam’s largest, has switched on its main power supply, clearing one of the last big infrastructure hurdles before a planned commercial launch at the end of 2026.

The airport’s project management board said on June 10 it had energized the power system together with the Dong Nai Power Company, feeding electricity from a dedicated 110 kV substation into the receiving station run by Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the state-owned developer building the airport about 40 km east of Ho Chi Minh City.

Stable, continuous power is a prerequisite for what comes next: a series of trial runs that will test the terminal, baggage systems and ground operations before passengers arrive. ACV plans three rounds of trial operations in September, October and November, with official commercial service targeted for December 2026.

The milestone caps a frantic stretch of construction. On June 1, ACV launched a 180-day sprint to finish the airport on time, a push that follows years in which the project wrestled with labor shortages, contractor payment delays and volatile material prices. Roughly 76% of the total project by value is now complete, and the most critical pieces are further along. The aircraft apron near the terminal is more than 88% finished, the fuel system more than 92%, and the connecting roads close to 90%. The passenger terminal, the centerpiece, has its main structure up and is about two-thirds of the way through interior work and equipment installation.

The airfield itself is already operational. Long Thanh’s first runway and apron are complete, and the runway received its first calibration flight in September 2025. In December, a Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787 made the first technical landing, followed days later by the first official flight, both treated as symbolic markers of how close the long-delayed project had come.

Power for the site runs through a substation the Dong Nai Power Company inaugurated on Dec. 16, 2025, built for more than VND158 billion ($6 million). It carries two transformers with a combined capacity of 80 MVA and feeds the airport through six separate 22 kV lines, enough to cover a construction site that already consumes about 730,000 kWh a month and will draw far more once systems are powered up for testing. The station is designed to run unmanned, monitored remotely.

Long Thanh is one of Vietnam’s most ambitious infrastructure bets. Spread across roughly 5,000 hectares, the first phase will handle 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo a year. Later phases are designed to lift capacity to as much as 100 million passengers annually, which would make it the country’s largest airport by a wide margin and, ACV hopes, a regional transit hub able to compete with the established gateways in Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think all the preparations will be completed before the new international airport launches this December? Do you think the new Long Thanh International Airport will be launched on time at the end of this year?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

Note: Cover photo of the Long Thanh International Airport is credited to VnExpress.

+++++

Vietnam Achieves 12.4% Tourism Growth In 1st Quarter Of 2026

June 14, 2026June 8, 2026carlocarrasco

Vietnam, a nation that was previously ravaged by war, saw its tourism industry grow by 12.4% in the first quarter of 2026 which is four times higher than the average for the Asia Pacific region, according to a news report of VnExpress. Already Vietnam attracted more than 10 million international visitors during the first five months this year.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of VnExpress. Some parts in boldface…

Vietnam’s tourism sector grew by 12.4% in the first quarter of 2026, outpacing both regional and global averages, according to data from the United Nations Tourism Organization.

UN Tourism reported on June 2 that international tourist arrivals worldwide rose by 2% year-on-year in the first quarter, reaching around 307 million travelers.

Meanwhile, data from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism showed that the country welcomed nearly 6.8 million international visitors during the first three months of the year, up 12.4% from the same period in 2025.

The growth rate was four times higher than the average for Asia-Pacific.

The momentum continued into the first five months of the year, with international arrivals increasing by nearly 15%.

The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism attributed the strong performance to several factors, including political stability, welcoming environment, diverse tourism products, and improving service quality.

Tourism officials also cited effective tourism promotion campaigns, market diversification efforts, visa facilitation measures, and expanded international flight connections as key drivers of growth.

Amid ongoing global economic and geopolitical uncertainty, the results underscore the resilience and adaptability of Vietnam’s tourism industry.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think Vietnam will close the gap with Thailand and Malaysia when it comes to attracting foreign tourists this year? Do you think the current tourism boom will create even more jobs and new businesses in Vietnam?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

10.6 Million Foreign Tourists Visited Vietnam In January-May 2026 Period

June 10, 2026June 3, 2026carlocarrasco

Vietnam, a nation that was previously ravaged by war, continues to be a strong magnet of visitors as 10.6 million foreign tourists have visited in the first five months of this year, according to a news report by VnExpress. The reported figure is significant as Vietnam attracted over 21 million foreign tourists last year.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of VnExpress. Some parts in boldface…

Vietnam received a record 10.6 million international visitors in the first five months of 2026, up 14.9% year-on-year.

Data released by the General Statistics Office shows there were 1.78 million arrivals in May alone, up 17%.

The 10 largest source of visitors during the period were mainland China, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan, Cambodia, the U.S., India, Japan, the Philippines and Australia.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism attributed the strong growth to the country’s reputation as a safe and stable destination amid global political uncertainty.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think Vietnam will be able to attract as many as 25 million foreign tourists by the end of 2026? Do you plan to visit Vietnam someday?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

Malaysia Now Has Little Caesars

May 28, 2026May 28, 2026carlocarrasco

Recently in Malaysia, the most-visited Southeast Asian country in the first quarter this year, Little Caesars opened its first outlet in the country marking its ongoing global expansion, according to a VnExpress news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of VnExpress. Some parts in boldface…

Little Caesars, the world’s third-largest pizza chain only after Domino’s and Pizza Hut, has opened its first outlet in Malaysia, marking the brand’s global expansion.

The new outlet was launched on May 24 in Damansara Utama, a suburb of Petaling Jaya in Selangor.

The outlet serves Little Caesars’ signature Hot-N-Ready classic pepperoni pizza and crazy puffs pepperoni, while also incorporating localized offerings such as Chicken Hawaiian, 3 Cheese Edge to Edge, and Classic Veggie pizza, the chain said in a statement.

The chain is known globally for its affordable pizzas, Crazy Bread, and quick grab-and-go style meals.

Little Caesars, billed as the “Best Value in Pizza,” was founded by Mike Ilitch and Marian Ilitch as a single family-owned restaurant in 1959 and is headquartered in Michigan. It has since grown into the world’s third-largest pizza chain, operating restaurants across all 50 U.S. states and 31 countries and territories.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? If you were to visit Malaysia today, would you make an effort to visit Little Caesars and have a meal there? If you have dined at Little Caesars before, what is your favorite among their food offerings? Do you think Little Caesars will be able to do good business in Southeast Asia?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

	#LGBTQ on Trump Administration Trashes B…
	#tech on Philippines’ Net FDI Inflows F…
	#tech on Trump Administration Trashes B…
	Business Channel on Philippines’ Net FDI Inflows F…
	Technology Channel on Philippines’ Net FDI Inflows F…

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: