During its recent media briefing, property consultancy firm Leechiu Property Consultants Inc. (LPC) says it expects foreign tourist arrivals to the Philippines to be lower this year compared to what was achieved in 2025 due to factors like higher fuel prices and other factors, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
Leechiu Property Consultants Inc. (LPC) expects foreign tourist arrivals to the Philippines to be lower this year compared with 2025 due to higher fuel costs and more expensive travel.
The number of tourists to the Philippines was flat at 4.4 million in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period last year after arrivals started to decline from May to August.
During LPC’s third-quarter media briefing last week, LPC senior manager of hotels, tourism, and leisure Adam Domingo said arrivals grew steadily in the first quarter, peaking at 12-percent growth in February, before momentum stalled in April and turned negative year-on-year from May onward.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran conflict doubled jet fuel prices, pushing up airfares and prompting flight cuts. Full-year arrivals are now expected to fall below 2025 levels.
“Unless we change how we do tourism at a basic level, foreign arrivals are likely to stay near today’s levels into next year,” noted Domingo.
He added, “The clearest evidence for what works comes from China and India. Where the Philippines made travel easier, through visa-free entry and additional direct flights, arrivals from both markets grew by more than 50 percent in the first quarter, and China has sustained that pace since February. Reducing travel friction produces results.”
The same logic shows up in the hotel pipeline, with about 70 percent of planned hotel rooms located in areas with direct international flights, which shows that private developers are building where access is strongest.
However, there is a gap as some destinations with strong private-sector commitment, such as Puerto Princesa City in Palawan province, are served by international airports that sit underused because they have no direct international routes.
“Developers are betting on these places, but travelers cannot yet fly to them directly. Government can match that commitment quickly by introducing direct international routes to these destinations. Compared with building or expanding airports, new routes can be put in place sooner and can lift arrivals faster,” said Domingo.
On domestic tourism, which earns four times what foreign travelers bring in, Domingo said, “we also need a closer look at the relocation of turboprop flights from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to Clark. Island destinations that depend on turboprops report that business is down.”
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the Philippines will end up having lower foreign tourist arrivals this year compared to last year? Do you think the national government neglected the tourism industry this year due to its hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and meetings at the United Nations (UN)?
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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