THE World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) projected the industry will post a new record this year and contribute P9.2 trillion to the Philippine economy by 2035, seeing a vital need for the government to support that growth in the next 10 years.
The council called on the country’s policymakers to continue fostering such growth trajectory by clear regulation, long-term investment in workforce development, and sustained global promotion of the Philippines as a world-class destination.
In a statement on the WTTC’s 2025 Economic Impact Research on the Philippines released Monday night, the council said travel and tourism will contribute P9.2 trillion or 19.8 percent to the Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035.
The industry will also generate 2.5 million new jobs within the next 10 years, which will bring total sector employment to 14.1 million by 2035, it said.
For 2025, travel and tourism will contribute P5.9 trillion to the economy, a new all-time high, and 13.5 percent above 2019 of P5.2 trillion, the WTTC said.
This would mean an increase of 11 percent from P5.3 trillion in 2024.
According to the research, the new record in 2025 would represent more than 21 percent of the country’s GDP.
WTTC also sees employment hitting record levels at 11.7 million in 2025, accounting for almost 23.8 percent of all national employment.
That is an additional half a million jobs in 2025 from 11.2 million workers in 2024.
This year, international visitor spending is projected to reach P709.2 billion, up 2.1 percent from the previous high in 2019 of about P695 billion and about 10 percent higher than the P644.8 billion reported in 2024, WTTC said.
Domestic visitor spending is anticipated to reach P4.1 trillion this year, a 9.3 percent increase over its previous peak of P3.73 trillion pre-COVID in 2019 and a 13.9 percent increase from P3.6 trillion in 2024.
“The Philippines is a standout example of how travel and tourism, when supported by a clear, long-term vision, can deliver real economic impact and long-term opportunity,” Julia Simpson, WTTC president and chief executive officer, said.
WTTC did not elaborate on the reforms needed but said as the Philippines “continues to strengthen air connectivity, invest in infrastructure, and prioritize destination resilience, travel and tourism is positioned not just to grow, but to transform the national economy.”
“This success speaks to the country’s extraordinary appeal, its policy focus on tourism as a growth engine, and the energy of its people and private sector,” Simpson said. ####
