US tops Philippine tourism market, propelled by strong ties, even stronger dollar

The US has overtaken South Korea as the Philippines’ top source of foreign tourists this year, helped by diaspora travel and closer ties between the long-time allies, giving Manila a boost as it tries to close the gap with more popular destinations in Southeast Asia.Figures from the Philippines’ tourism" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="151257" data-entity-type="organization">Department of tourism (DOT) showed that between January and May, 531,859 visitors came from the US, while 501,789 were from South Korea – comprising 19.4 per cent and 18.3 per cent of the total tourism arrivals, respectively.The rise comes against the backdrop of a consistently strong public perception of the US, as both countries continue to deepen their defence and economic ties.