PH one of ASEAN's top tourism economies —WTTC

The Philippines is among the strongest tourism economies in the ASEAN region, ranking first in terms of tourism gross domestic product (GDP) in the region for the year 2025, according to the 2025 World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Economic Impact Report released by the Department of Tourism (DOT).

The Philippines’ tourism GDP was valued at USD$91.8 billion by the WTTC report, which surpassed regional tourism economies such as Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore.

The country is also among ASEAN’s top tourism job generators with approximately 11.22 million tourism jobs nationwide, or 23% of the national employment.

The numbers were reflected in tourism’s share of the Philippines’ economy, making up 19.9% of the economy and positioning tourism as a “people-centered growth engine”.

“These figures clearly show that the Philippines ranks among ASEAN’s leading tourism economies. With tourism contributing nearly US$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,” said Tourism Secretary Cristina Frasco.

The Philippines is the chair for the 2026 ASEAN summit, which tackles tourism among other policy and diplomacy concerns. —Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/LDF, GMA Integrated News