DOT: Boracay, Baguio draw holiday crowds
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino tourists came out in droves as they took advantage of the long break during the holiday season, with the majority heading for the beaches or the mountains, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said in a statement on Monday.
Boracay Island in Western Visayas recorded the highest number of arrivals from Dec. 15 to Dec. 28 as 118,745 tourists gathered to celebrate the holidays along the world-famous white-sand beach.
The island also played host to cruise liners filled with thousands of passengers and crew during the same period, the DOT reported.
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It added that Baguio City, another favorite tourist destination because of its cold weather, especially during the holiday season, drew 117,137 visitors from Dec. 15 to Dec. 31.
On the other hand, the disasters that hit Cebu province in 2025 failed to deter tourist arrivals as it welcomed 102,124 visitors between Dec. 15 and Dec. 28. Another equally popular tourist attraction, Panglao Island in Bohol, played host for the holidays to 62,240 guests, according to the DOT.
Luzon destinations
In Eastern Visayas, the most visited tourist spot was Malajog Beach in Calbayog City, Samar, with 56,543 guests. Tacloban City also saw a hike in tourists with 25,194 overnight visitors.
From Dec. 15 to Dec. 31, tourists also flocked to northern Luzon as 47,338 travelers went to La Union, 32,232 tourists to Ilocos Sur and 10,012 to Nueva Vizcaya.
Popular destinations in Palawan also attracted tourists over the holidays: 40,000 tourists were recorded in El Nido and 17,850 in Coron. In Oriental Mindoro, 13,204 visited Puerto Galera.
According to the DOT, Mindanao also welcomed tens of thousands of tourists from mid-December until the year-end.
The tear-drop shaped Siargao island drew 32,742 tourists, Sarangani recorded 26,191 tourists, mountain-filled Bukidnon drew 9,488 visitors and Camiguin Island saw 6,558 visitors.
Crowd-drawers
Metro Manila also saw a surge of tourists at Intramuros, especially during Christmas masses celebrated at the Manila Cathedral.
For Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, the surge in Filipino visitors during the holiday season proves that “the strength of domestic tourism in the Philippines remains a driving force of our travel industry.”
“The Christmas holidays once again showed how Filipinos continue to explore and support our own destinations,” she said.
Frasco emphasized the benefits of domestic travel, noting that it “helps communities recover and thrive, boosts the economy, deepens national pride and supports more equitable tourism development across our regions.” /cb
