Asia's leading beach country welcomes 5.4 million foreign visitors in 2024

By Hoang Vu January 7, 2025 | 07:22 pm PT

A surfing rental worker waits for customers along the beach on Boracay in the Philippines. Photo by Reuters

The Philippines, named Asia's leading beach destination at the World Travel Awards, received over 5.4 million foreign visitors in 2024, up 8.7% year-on-year but fell short of its target of 7.7 million.

South Korea remained the top source of inbound tourists with 1.5 million arrivals, up 8.2% compared to the previous year, according to data from the Philippines' Department of Tourism.

The U.S. retained the second position with 947,891, followed by Japan with 388,316 arrivals.

China followed closely, with 312,222.

Before the pandemic, China was the Philippines' second-largest tourist market, with over 1.7 million visitors in 2019.

The Philippines, with a coastline spanning over 36,000 kilometers, was crowned "Asia's Leading Beach Destination" at the 2024 World Travel Awards.

Thailand, where tourism plays a critical role in the economy, recorded over 35 million foreign arrivals in 2024, while Vietnam received nearly 17.6 million.

Malaysia recorded over 22.5 million as of November.