Quezon City Representative Marvin Rillo does not believe South Korea’s short-lived martial law will dampen the appetite of its citizens to visit the Philippines in the months ahead.
“We look forward to a very large number of South Korean tourists arriving in the Philippines in 2025,” Rillo, vice chairperson of the House Committee on Tourism, said.
“It is highly likely that in 2025, the number of South Korean visitors to the Philippines will surpass the pre-pandemic level of almost two million.”
“In fact, it is highly likely that in 2025, the number of South Korean visitors to the Philippines will surpass the pre-pandemic level of almost two million,” the legislator stated.
The lawmaker said he is counting on the robust recovery of the Philippine tourism sector in 2025 to drive the creation of new employment opportunities for Filipinos in accommodation, transport, food and beverage services, entertainment, and other economic activities.
“Our sense is that South Koreans will continue to visit the Philippines in droves as long as they find it economically attractive to spend their holidays here.”
“Our sense is that South Koreans will continue to visit the Philippines in droves as long as they find it economically attractive to spend their holidays here,” he said.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Dec. 3, but the replacement of the civilian government by military rule was lifted six hours later.
South Korea has been the Philippines’ biggest source of foreign visitors for years.
A total of 1,435,571 South Koreans visited the Philippines from January to November 2024, up 10.45 percent from 1,299,697 in the same 11-month period in 2023, according to Department of Tourism (DOT) figures.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a total of 1,989,322 South Koreans arrived in the Philippines in the whole 12 months of 2019.
South Koreans comprised 29.18 percent of all foreign tourists that arrived in the Philippines in the first 11 months of 2024.
A total of 4,918,418 foreign tourists visited the Philippines from January to November this year, up 9.56 percent from 4,489,059 in the same 11-month period in 2023.
The foreign tourist arrival figures do not include the 432,439 overseas Filipinos (Philippine passport holders who are permanent residents abroad) that visited the country from January to November this year, up 9.16 percent from 396,147 in the same period in 2023.
Last month, Fitch Solutions company BMI projected that foreign tourist arrivals in the Philippines will continue to grow every year and eventually hit 9.7 million in 2028.
