Central Visayas experienced a challenging year in 2025, yet the region’s tourism industry managed to post a modest improvement in visitor arrivals. Despite two major calamities, the region welcomed a total of 6.9 million tourists, according to a recent report from the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) in the region.
The DepDev report cited data from the Department of Tourism in Central Visayas (DOT-7). Consequently, the figures confirm that the region’s tourism sector showed resilience even under difficult circumstances.
Slight Growth Despite Adversity
When compared to 2024, the 2025 numbers reveal a positive trend. Specifically, the region recorded 6,453,422 visitors in the previous year. As a result, the 6.9 million arrivals in 2025 translate to a growth rate of approximately 8.4 percent.
“The year 2025 was a challenging one for the Central Visayas tourism industry,” DepDev stated. “Yet tourism arrivals managed to surpass 2024 figures.”
Domestic and Foreign Tourist Breakdown
Domestic tourists continued to dominate the region’s visitor mix. In fact, local travelers accounted for roughly 63 percent of all arrivals.
Meanwhile, Central Visayas recorded a total of 2,554,289 foreign visitors in 2025. Among these international markets, South Korea remained the top source of tourists. However, an estimated 966,000 South Koreans visited the region, which represents a 5.38-percent decline compared to 2024.
Japan Leads Growth Among International Markets
In contrast to South Korea’s decline, Japan showed the strongest growth among major markets. Japanese tourist arrivals increased by an impressive 50.45 percent, rising from 244,537 in 2024 to 337,812 in 2025.
Furthermore, other growing markets included France with 34.40 percent growth, Germany at 23.77 percent, and Canada with 21.46 percent.
Rounding out the top five foreign markets for the region were the United States (261,004 arrivals), China (112,121), and Taiwan (103,219).
