Tourist arrivals in the first three months of the year reached 1.3 million, or half the 2.65 million recorded in the whole of 2022.
DOT Secretary Christina Frasco said of the number, 92 percent are foreign tourists and 8 percent are returning residents or balikbayan.
South Korea remained the top source market with 26 percent share at 346,192 tourists followed by the United States, 18 percent share at 241,334 visitors.
Rounding up the top five are Canada with 68, 463; , Australia with 61,483 and; Japan, at 61,204.
Frasco said the agency is optimistic it will breach its baseline target of 4.8 million tourists this year.
Frasco said by 2024, the Philippines is seen to recover 100 percent, if not exceed, its 2019 or pre-pandemic tourist arrivals of 8.2 million.
This year, DOT sees domestic tourism to recover fully. Full recovery for domestic tourism to pre-pandemic level means logging in at least 110 million local trips and P3.14 trillion in expenditure this year.
According to Frasco, tourism facilities in key destinations are experiencing recording-breaking bookings, some exceeding pre-pandemic levels as summer travel picks up.
Meanwhile, Frasco said the oil spill that occurred in Mindoro has affected 63 tourism sites and displaced up to a thousand workers.
With community-based tourism heavily impacted, Frasco said she has ordered DOT regional offices to craft a recovery action plan while ensuring displaced workers are provided social protection .
She said the top attractions in that particular area, including Puerto Galera, are still now at over 90 percent capacity as far as reservations is concerned.
