Cebu remains a prominent tourist destination in Central Visayas.
Cebu continues to bolster the country’s tourism industry, especially with the massive increase of tourists that visited the island last year.
A Facebook post from Sugbo News reported that Cebu welcomed over 5.1 million tourists in 2024. 1.9 million were foreigners, while the remaining 3.2 million were Filipinos from other parts of the country. (2025)
This is the highest number of tourists anywhere in Central Visayas, with the region garnering 7.5 million in total. Bohol came in second with almost 1.4 million visits.
This amounts to a 37% increase from 2023, which still garnered an impressive 5.5 million, highlighting the island’s impactful growth and recovery.
There were more domestic visitors, with a growth of 39% from the previous year. Foreign tourists, on the other hand, increased by 34%. Around 7,600 of these accounted for arrivals of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW).
The highest number of tourists traveling to Cebu came from South Korea, amounting to slightly over a million visitors. This is followed by the United States, Japan, China, and Taiwan to round off the top five.
TOP 10 FOREIGN ARRIVALS IN CEBU IN 2024
- South Korea — 1.028 million
- USA — 234,511
- Japan — 226,755
- China — 127,084
- Taiwan — 88,728
- Australia — 71,872
- Germany — 59,341
- France — 54,448
- United Kingdom — 53,459
- Canada — 41,949
The Facebook post also mentioned that the 7.5 million visitors contributed to Php 126 billion in tourism receipts. Each tourist reportedly spent an average of $2,073 (Php 118,778.75).
Tourists are also staying longer, with the average length of stay increasing to 11 nights from just nine in 2019.
AWARDS FOR CEBU IN 2024
The Department of Tourism in Central Visayas (DOT-7) recognized Cebu for its rich cultural heritage and diverse tourism offerings.
Cebu is the birthplace of Catholicism in the Philippines, with dozens of Spanish colonial era churches and religious landmarks like the Magellan’s Cross and the Basilica del Sto. Niño.
Aside from this, Cebu’s tourism offerings include eco-tourism spots like its mountains, pristine beaches, and even its forests and jungles.
Last year, hotel booking site Agoda listed Cebu as a top diving destination in Asia, placing it fourth behind Bali, Phuket, and Okinawa.
Condé Nast Traveler recognized Panagsama Beach as one of the best beaches in Asia as well due to its rich marine life. This public beach in Moalboal is where you can witness the famous sardine run.
Other areas in Cebu are known for their breathtaking underwater attractions, like the whale sharks in Badian, Malapascua with its thresher sharks, and Pescador Island for its corals and marine biodiversity.
Additionally, the World Travel Awards recognized Cebu as “Asia’s Leading Wedding Destination” in 2024 due to its wedding culture and many picturesque wedding venues.
The island also finished third in the Area Category of the NEWT Awards. The prestigious award show is hosted by NEWT, a global travel booking app that honors destinations, hotels, and flights.
Lastly, the DOT-7 pointed out that Japanese travel company HIS ranked Cebu as the seventh most booked international destination for the New Year period. It was awarded fifth in “Rapid Growth” with a 136.8% increase in bookings yearly.
MCIA CONTRIBUTIONS
The dramatic increase in visitors may also be seen in the number of flights at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA). The country’s second busiest airport logged in over 11 million passengers from January to December 2024.
With almost 9 million domestic passengers and 3 million international tourists, this number increased by at least 12% from 2023.
There was also an 11% increase in seat capacity among the different airlines in Cebu from 2023.
It welcomed more flights and added more airlines and destinations. Direct flights to Santa Fe airport on Bantayan Island were also introduced.
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It’s no surprise that Cebu continues to draw in millions of visitors every year because of its constant development projects and natural wonders. In 2025, we can expect even more to come.
Sinulog 2025 recorded over 4 million guests, especially since its official return to the streets of Cebu City. (2025) It’s highly likely that a large portion of these were tourists looking to take part in the festivities.
As tourist spots continuously improve and maintain the quality of their beautiful surroundings, the island could potentially reach 2024 numbers in no time.
REFERENCES:
Sugbo News. 2025. “𝗖𝗘𝗕𝗨 𝗜𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗦 𝟱.𝟭 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧 𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰.” Sugbo News Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/sugbonews.gov/posts/pfbid0MwwSv13suwvU7hoygkVuCNLxGAco6RXFPpAxsfXFK7S1LdrN3vg1Bx9QZpjf3aLyl?__cft__[0]=AZWN2n_4GRxEQ-EM2Op7rNcqxKT-jK023R2IhbPBSw9WEuqq59J0422x7UJOefL0Hh4xU12fCHWdL1heXS4GpsufG6RczoNw9u1-QI2TuCv0gOaM7IlFbNX_eKpEGSUl-DQTt4a_6PoGHYx2tM6hr6E2PaBxOLTnOAjoWHsQ6wIKXGbqAa-X8IBkhlJLYcEu-cs&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
Ares, Emmariel. 2025. “Sinulog 2025: 4M people crowd Cebu City.” CDN Digital. https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/618377/sinulog-2025-4m-people-crowd-cebu-city
