TOURIST arrivals surpassed 1.2 million in the first two months of 2024, the Department of Tourism (DoT) reported Thursday.

"I would like to express my profound gratitude first to all our Philippine sellers who continue to champion Philippine tourism. The Philippines has received over 1.2 million international visitors, a robust indication of the future of Philippine tourism," Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA

The DoT said 1,160,129, or 94.49 percent of the 1,227,815 arrivals were foreigners, and 67,686 (5.51 percent) were overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Frasco said the number of arrivals is 22.86 percent more than the 999,390 during the same period in 2023.

South Korea remains the country's top source market, accounting for 349,956 or 28.50 percent, followed by the United States with 195,603 (15.93 percent), China with 85,876 (6.99 percent), Japan with 73,159 (5.96 percent) and Canada with 50,555 (4.12 percent).

Australia was sixth with 50,488, followed by Taiwan (42,955), the United Kingdom (30,507), Singapore (25,253) and Germany (20,816).

The DoT also sees an increase in visitor receipts.

According to the Visitor Sample Survey, estimated visitor receipts for January 2024 were $652.26 million, which is 4.84 percent more than the $622.14 million in January 2023.

In 2023, the Philippines drew more than 5.45 million foreign visitors, above the industry's goal of 4.8 million. This year, the target is 7.7 million arrivals.