Cebu tourist arrivals decline

Local

THE Cebu Provincial Tourism Office (CPTO) remains optimistic that Cebu Province's tourism industry can recover before the end of the year.

The latest tourism monitoring report showed that the province recorded 838,601 visitor arrivals from January to June 2026, down by 100,344 from the 938,945 arrivals logged in the same period last year, translating to a 10.69 percent decline.

The latest deficit was higher than the estimated 97,831 shortfall reported on July 23.

Despite the year-on-year decline, Provincial Tourism Officer Rowena Montecillo said improving foreign visitor arrivals and the expected influx of domestic travelers during the peak tourism season could help the province recover before the year ends.

"Although both domestic and foreign arrivals remain negative compared with the same period last year, the foreign numbers have somehow increased a little from last week's report," Montecillo said in an interview on Friday, July 31.

'We are not so worried about domestic because we always depend on domestic tourists. They come during peak season," she added.

The report showed that domestic arrivals fell by 12.72 percent to 684,210 from 784,022 last year, while foreign arrivals declined by 5.16 percent to 153,391 from 161,907.

Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) arrivals, meanwhile, rose to 46 from 10 a year earlier.

Although foreign arrivals remained lower than last year's level, the decline narrowed compared with previous reports, signaling a gradual improvement in the international market.

South Korea remained Cebu Province's biggest foreign source market with 45,913 visitors, followed by Japan with 19,040, the United States with 18,680, China with 15,080, Taiwan with 7,907, Germany with 6,266, Australia with 6,175, France with 6,056, Canada with 5,596, and the United Kingdom with 4,301.

The CPTO also reported that China posted the highest increase in visitor arrivals, adding 4,863 visitors or 50.58 percent compared with the same period last year.

Russia followed with an increase of 1,722 visitors or 92.93 percent, while the United Kingdom gained 884 visitors or 26.02 percent, France added 703 visitors or 14.19 percent, and Denmark recorded an increase of 271 visitors or 33.46 percent.

Montecillo said the tourism office is studying the markets that posted significant increases to better understand visitor preferences and determine how tourism products and destinations can be improved to sustain the growth.

She also noted that tourism stakeholders have observed growing interest among visitors in destinations across Cebu Province rather than in Cebu City alone.

She said travelers are increasingly exploring towns where they can experience beaches, local cuisine, festivals and community-based attractions.

The provincial government continues to promote pilgrimage tours for domestic travelers, which remain the province's most popular tourism product, while beaches and outdoor activities continue to attract foreign visitors, she said.

Montecillo also reported that the tourism office has not received any official complaints from tourists in recent months.

Instead, the province continues to strengthen destination readiness by rolling out 30 training programs for tourism workers, including rescue and emergency response, to improve visitor services.

She added that the January-to-June figures remain incomplete because some municipalities have yet to submit their reports.

She urged local government units to complete their submissions, noting that delays often stem from accommodation establishments that are unable to submit occupancy and visitor records on time.

"We are happy about that. We are studying the markets, especially those that have significant increases because we would want to know how to prepare the products and the destination," Montecillo said.(MyTVCebu)