The Philippines has fewer tourists than other SEA spots, but expats are choosing it for retirement

MANILA: The Philippines is a bit of an oddity in Southeast Asia. Although the region is having a sizable tourism boost at present, the Philippines is finding itself out of the visitor boom, with far fewer tourists than Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.

When it comes to choosing where to retire, however, there is a growing number of expats who are calling the Philippines their home in their golden years.

So it may be safe to say that while fewer people are coming to the Philippines to visit, more are coming to stay for good.

Southeast Asia’s tourism boom

The region, as they say, is having a moment. Last year, Malaysia had around 40 million arrivals, Thailand had about 32.9 million arrivals, and Vietnam had over 21 million arrivals.  Even tiny Singapore had 18 million visitors.

The Philippines, meanwhile, had only about 5.6 million arrivals throughout the year, lagging behind Indonesia, which had around 14 million.

Unlike other countries in the region, the number of visitors to the Philippines shrank from the year before, when it had 5.9 million arrivals. Vietnam, in contrast, saw a 20.4% growth from 2024 to 2025.

The problems with Philippine tourism are fundamental, beginning from poor infrastructure and accessibility, poor standards, and a lack of investment into the industry, which is a shame, given the beauty and abundance of its natural resources.

And yet people want to retire in the Philippines

However, and indeed quite surprisingly, there are people from other countries who want to make their home in the Philippines permanently once they reach retirement age.

There are plenty of reasons for this, and you guessed it, most of them have to do with money.

Let’s start with an inexpensive retirement visa, available to people age 40 and older, that starts at US$15,000 (approximately S$19,300). This visa is also refundable for people who change their minds, by the way. Furthermore, in the Philippines, there are no taxes on income and capital gains outside the country, or any brought into the country.

Furthermore, the cost of living is perceived to be affordable—but with recent inflation rates, this is likely to be particularly true for high-net-worth individuals. However, the further one chooses to settle from big cities such as Manila and Cebu, the more affordable the cost of living is, especially when it comes to rent.

There are other considerations as well. Filipinos are, for the most part, friendly and helpful, and many speak English relatively well. The climate is warm and sunny, which Westerners tired of living in colder climes are likely to welcome.

“The Philippines is a favourite for expats in 2025… and it’s not just because of the beaches. Friendly locals, strong social connections, and a low cost of living make it one of the easiest places to settle in and truly feel at home. Could a strong community and warm welcome be the most valuable expat perks?” InterNations wrote in September. /TISG

Read also: New study says Singapore is the safest country in Asia for travelers, while the Philippines is the least safe