A SENATOR on Monday raised concern over Filipino’s lack of interest in local tourism to the Department of Tourism (DoT).
Senator Erwin T. Tulfo, who presided the hearing on the DoT’s proposed budget, said that most Filipinos go abroad for their leisurely trips, with international travel considered cheaper than domestic. He focused on Siargao’s expensive prices and growing tensions with Israeli tourists.
Filipinos’ domestic trips were quite high in 2025, Tourism Undersecretary for Analysis and Knowledge Management Verna Esmeralda C. Buensuceso said, adding that 7.6 million traveled abroad, fewer than travelers with local trips.
She said the DoT’s household survey on domestic visitors also showed that there are 140 million people traveling to the Philippines.
Expenditure for Filipinos is also lower during their foreign trips, with only P357 million compared to the P3.26 trillion they spend locally, Ms. Buensuceso said.
Mr. Tulfo, however, said the expenses are exactly the problem with domestic tourism.
DoT Undersecretary for Tourism Development Planning Stanley K. Ng explained that there is high demand for local travel, but it has become difficult and more expensive because of poor infrastructure. He said that Philippine airports, particularly in the province, have limited capacities.
He cited for instance, Manila airport does not have the parallel runway common in airports abroad, like the Gatwick airport in the United Kingdom. He said that a parallel runway allowed Gatwick airport to have 50 movements in an hour, doubling travel capacity.
Local hotels also lack rooms, he said, which adds to the costs of local travel. — Francessca S. Abalos