NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
Tourist arrivals from South Korea have dropped significantly in Bohol, with numbers down by roughly 30% compared to the surge recorded last year.
In 2024, Korean arrivals soared from 136,397 in 2023 to 233,280 passengers—a nearly 90% jump. However, during the first six months of 2025, only 82,851 Korean tourists were recorded, according to Provincial Tourism Officer Joanne Pinat.
The reduction is reflected in the dwindling frequency of direct flights from Incheon, South Korea to the Bohol Panglao International Airport, which fell from nine flights daily last year to just six daily, and even two flights on certain days.
Resort owners—especially those catering to the Korean market—have felt the impact, particularly in the drop-off in nighttime dining crowds around downtown Alona. One resort reported a 70% decline in Korean guest arrivals since the beginning of the year.
Travel agencies that relocated from Boracay to Bohol last year due to the Korean market’s shift have also confirmed a significant slowdown beginning January 2025.
One reason cited for the decline is the suspension of whale shark watching activities in Lila, Alburquerque, and Dauis, which had been popular among Korean tourists and pre-packaged into travel itineraries. The provincial government halted these tours due to environmental concerns, especially after Bohol earned its designation as the country’s sole UNESCO Global Geopark island.
NATIONAL TREND MIRRORS LOCAL DIP
The drop in Korean tourist arrivals isn’t exclusive to Bohol. Nationwide, South Korean visits to the Philippines fell by 19% to 552,000 in the first five months of 2025, according to data shared by property consultant Alfred Lay, director for Hotel, Tourism, and Leisure at Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC).
Lay cited crime-related concerns and negative perceptions of safety among South Korean audiences as contributing factors.
“We need to improve our security situation,” Lay said. “We also need to be careful about how we manage the perception of crime in the country and what is projected out there in the region, because those perceptions matter a lot.”
Despite the decline, South Korea remains the Philippines’ top source market for international tourists, with golf tourism—particularly in areas like Hann Resort in Clark—still drawing interest.