CEBU CITY—The Philippines has emerged as one of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ strongest tourism economies, according to the 2025 World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Economic Impact Report presented during the ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Meeting.
The Philippines ranked first in terms of tourism GDP valued at $91.8 billion—the highest in ASEAN and surpassing other major regional tourism economies such as Indonesia ($71.7 billion), Thailand ($67.3 billion), and Singapore ($54.6 billion).
In terms of employment, the Philippines likewise ranked among ASEAN’s top tourism job generators, with tourism supporting approximately 11.22 million jobs nationwide.
This represents 23 percent of total national employment, one of the highest shares in the region, exceeded only by Cambodia.
In absolute terms, the Philippines has the second-largest tourism workforce in ASEAN, next only to Indonesia, underscoring tourism’s role as a major source of livelihoods for Filipinos.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said the data affirm tourism’s critical contribution to national development under the Marcos administration.
“These figures clearly show that the Philippines ranks among ASEAN’s leading tourism economies,” Frasco said.
“With tourism contributing nearly $92 billion to our economy and supporting over 11 million Filipino jobs according to the WTTC, tourism remains a powerful driver of inclusive growth, job creation, and economic resilience for our country,” she added.
She said the country’s strong performance reflected the DOT’s continued focus on strengthening the tourism value chain, empowering the workforce, and ensuring that tourism growth translates into tangible benefits for communities nationwide.
Tourism accounts for 19.9 percent of the Philippine economy, placing the country among the most tourism-significant economies in Southeast Asia, both in scale and impact.
