Can Asean chairmanship and ‘authenticity’ lift Philippines’ tourism game?

The Philippines is banking on its Asean chairmanship to elevate the country’s tourism through “warmth and authenticity”, despite facing accessibility hurdles and stiff competition from holiday heavyweights such as Thailand and Indonesia. The archipelagic state, famous for its white sand beaches, managed to draw just 2.1 million of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ 48.5 million tourist arrivals in the first four months of this year. The Philippines received 5.9 million visitors in 2024,