Increasing interest from tourists from Asia and the rest of the world will greatly benefit the tourism industry, which was badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While China only ranked 13th when it comes to being a source of tourists in the Philippines in 2022, that ranking may improve this year—as more tourists from the Asian nation are keen on visiting the country. In fact, according to a report, online homestay marketplace Airbnb said that “searches for the Philippines among Chinese travelers grew 10% year-on-year.”

“Since the reopening of cross-border travel in China, Chinese travelers are increasingly expressing interest to visit a wider variety of destinations,” the company explained. 

International Tourist Arrivals in 2022

According to the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Philippines tallied a total of 2.65 million international visitor arrivals by the end of 2022. As a result, the country earned PHP 208.96 billion in tourism revenue for the year. 

While 628,445 of the international visitor arrivals are returning Filipinos, 505,089 of them are from the United States. South Korean visitors accounted for 428,014 of the total number, while Australia accounted for 137,974. 

As for China, 39,627 of the 2.65 million came from the Asian nation. 

How Having More Chinese Tourists is Beneficial for Entrepreneurs 

The increase in interest of Chinese tourists in the Philippines is welcomed news for entrepreneurs, particularly those in the tourism industry. 

Entrepreneurs can use this as an opportunity to start businesses that cater to international tourists. For those with existing businesses, this can also be an opportunity to think of new products or services, promos, and the like that can reel in more tourists to the business. 

However, it is important to note that in order for any of these efforts to succeed, entrepreneurs should have a good understanding of the market. Learn what these tourists are looking for, and then take those learnings and apply them to the business.