From what I gathered online, in 2019, Chinese visitors totaled somewhere between 1.7 million to 1.9 million in one year. In terms of revenues, reports claim that the Chinese visitors spent $2.3 billion during their accumulated stay in the country. What many people did not talk about is that in 2022, only 39,627 Chinese visitors arrived. While the Philippines was losing out on the tourism and economic front from China, the rest of our neighbors quietly pivoted from antagonism to diplomacy. All the saber-rattling and huffing and puffing between China and the Philippines may be understandable, but it is also unproductive.

Source: Philippine Star January 18, 2026 22:01 UTC