Asia's leading beach destination sees decline in April foreign arrivals amid safety concerns

In the first four months of this year, the country welcomed 1.93 million visitors, a 0.83% decrease year-on-year, according to data from the Philippines' Department of Tourism.

South Korea remained the largest source of inbound tourists, with 468,000 visitors, though this represented an 18% year-on-year decline.

In April alone, the number of South Korean visitors dropped by 35%, totaling 73,000.

A series of incidents involving the deaths of South Korean tourists have raised safety concerns in the Philippines.

In March, a South Korean man was shot and killed by two robbers in Manila.

Last month, another South Korean tourist was fatally shot during a robbery in Angeles City.

A South Korean tourist was recently kidnapped by a group of armed men in the Philippines, but was later rescued by Filipino police, who also arrested two Chinese kidnappers.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry has advised its citizens to avoid poorly lit or deserted areas at night and to use safe transportation methods, such as registered taxis while visiting the country.

The Philippines, which boasts over 36,000 kilometers of coastline, was named "Asia's Leading Beach Destination" at the 2024 World Travel Awards.

The country targets 8.4 million foreign tourists this year, an increase of more than 55% from the 5.4 million arrivals in 2024.