Despite projecting a slight dip in overall ship calls for 2026, the Philippines is expecting passenger numbers to surge more than 300 percent year over year.
According to Dr. Paulo Benito S. Tugbang, director for product development at the Philippines Department of Tourism, the country welcomed 24,855 passengers across 136 calls in 2025.
“We had 136 calls last year and we are projecting about 128 in 2026,” he told Cruise Industry News during an exclusive interview. “However, about 75,000 passengers are projected..”
The passenger growth has been driven by the arrival of new cruise lines to the country, in addition to a renewed focus on expedition and luxury niches.
Tugbang highlighted the successful debut of brands like Swan Hellenic and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, noting that they are now planning return visits to the region.
Ponant is also increasing its presence in the country with itineraries that sail to multiple destinations in the Philippines in 2027, he added, noting that Noble Caledonia is also debuting soon.
“So, we’re excited to welcome these smallerluxury cruise lines,” Tugbang said, noting that the country is especially suited for premium operations.
“As an archipelagic nation, we don’t usually fare well in hosting big ships because the carrying capacity of our islands remains limited,” Tugbang continued.
“Expedition cruises, which are smaller and more intimate, really enjoy the offerings of the Philippines because they can just hop from island to island and really immerse the travelers in the culture.”
In addition to serving as a destination for these upscale vessels, the country also sees an opportunity in homeporting operations.
According to Gerard “Gerry” Panga, tourism attaché and director for the Southwestern States and Latin America, several factors position the country well for developing a national cruise market.
“We now have new people gaining wealth, having the experience of first-time cruising,” he said, noting that cruise lines have already offered cruises sailing roundtrip from Subic Bay.
“They are actually counting on the local tourists as the primary source market… slowly, we are trying to attack the markets on all fronts, but cruising is one of our core products,” Panga added.
Beyond the domestic focus, the Philippines is targeting the North American market as well, taking advantage of uncertainty in other parts of the world.
Guests from the United States and Canada already represent the largest inbound demographic for the country across all of Southeast Asia, he explained.
Panga pointed out that current geopolitical challenges, specifically flight disruptions over the Middle East, are actively pushing North American tourists away from traditional European vacations and toward Asian alternatives.
“Canadians are keeping the Philippines as a priority,” Panga explained. “They cannot fly over Europe because of flight disruptions… so more and more are looking at Asia. When we look at our market performances now, we are outpacing the whole of our Southeast Asian competitors.”
Panga added that, beyond these opportunities, the country is distinguished by its hospitality and people.
“It’s not only the nature, but the experience with the people. When we ask them year in, year out, what makes their trip so enjoyable, a hundred percent would say it’s because of the warm, friendly, and English-speaking Filipino people,” he explained.
