Bicol tourism booms with P3.5 B in domestic receipts

By Rhaydz B. Barcia

TOURISM in Bicol is on the rise, generating P3.5 billion in domestic receipts and P103 million in foreign receipts in 2024, driven by increasing tourist arrivals in the region.

“Bicol Region is taking off, although we still need to work on marketing and expanding our tourism products. Still, we are among the country’s top 10 regions in terms of tourist arrivals. We aim to bring back Bicol’s glory days when the region was a leading tourism hub,” Department of Tourism (DOT) Bicol Regional Director Herbie Aguas told The Manila Times.

Tourist Arrivals in 2024

According to DOT Bicol records, the region recorded 4,381,598 domestic tourists and 54,275 foreign tourists, bringing the total to 4,435,873 in 2024.

Among the six Bicol provinces, Albay had the highest number of domestic tourist arrivals with 1,391,179, followed by Camarines Sur (1,342,430), Camarines Norte (888,810), Sorsogon (411,437), Masbate (210,681), and Catanduanes (137,070).

For foreign tourist arrivals, Camarines Sur topped the list with 20,194, followed by Albay (16,023), Catanduanes (8,307), Sorsogon (8,197), Masbate (1,090), and Camarines Norte (474).

Accommodation and Day Tourist Data

The DOT recorded 4,435,883 overnight guests in its partial count as of February 2025, with Albay leading at 1,407,193, followed by Camarines Sur (1,362,624), Camarines Norte (889,284), Sorsogon (419,634), Masbate (211,771), and Catanduanes (145,377).

For day tourists, the DOT recorded 7,846,626 visitors as of February 2025. Albay again had the highest number with 2,024,683, followed by Camarines Norte (1,880,942), Camarines Sur (1,673,301), Sorsogon (1,497,254), Masbate (417,160), and Catanduanes (353,286).

Top Foreign Visitors

The top ten foreign nationalities visiting Bicol in 2024 were:

1. United States – 5,097; 2. China – 1,956; 3. Australia – 1,857; 4. Germany – 1,347; 5. Canada – 1,328; 6. United Kingdom – 1,255; 7. France – 1,161; 8. Russia – 1,015; 9. South Korea – 667, and 10. Spain – 646

2028 Tourism Goals

DOT Bicol is targeting 8.5 million tourist arrivals by 2028, aiming for 7.96 million domestic tourists and 600,000 foreign tourists. This projected growth is expected to generate P34.5 billion in tourism revenue and create a 15% increase in job opportunities in the region.

Upcoming Tourism Initiatives

To attract more visitors, the DOT will launch the Bicol Surf Summit in the following locations:

Leg 1: Baras, Catanduanes; Leg 2: Gubat, Sorsogon; and Leg 3: Bagasbas, Daet, Camarines Norte

Additionally, the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP) for 2025 will improve access to key destinations. The funding breakdown for Bicol’s TRIP projects is as follows:

Sorsogon – P1.185 billion (13 projects); Albay – P187.9 million (11 projects); Catanduanes – P105 million (2 projects); Masbate – P70 million (4 projects); Camarines Norte – P60 million (5 projects); and Camarines Sur – P35 million (2 projects)

With these developments, Bicol is poised to strengthen its position as one of the country’s top tourist destinations.