KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato, Philippines | March 15, 2026 — The Provincial Tourism Office reported a significant number of visitors to South Cotabato in 2025, highlighting the province’s growing reputation as a destination for culture, adventure, and nature-based tourism.
Richie Matunding, Administrative Aide IV, said that the province recorded around 2.2 million same-day tourists last year, while 271,455 visitors stayed overnight in different destinations across South Cotabato.
Among these visitors, the majority were domestic tourists, while a smaller but notable number came from other countries. Tourism data showed that 5,199 foreign visitors came to South Cotabato in 2025 for same-day tours, while 467 foreign tourists opted to stay longer in the province.
Matunding attributed the steady tourism activity to the province’s unique mix of cultural attractions, nature destinations, and adventure experiences.
“Based on our observations, when pandemic hit South Cotabato in 2020, tourism activities went down, but the good thing, in 2021, tourist arrivals immediately picked up once again.
The Research, Planning and Manpower Development of the Arts, Culture, Tourism and Museum Development Unit noted an increase of number of same day tourist in South Cotabato by 263 percent in 2021 even there was still a COVID-stigma period.
However, Matunding said the COVID period affected foreign arrivals in 2020—from 379 it dropped to only 65 in 2021.
“As we rose to the challenges of COVID, numbers of tourists arrivals in South Cotabato becomes steady up to this date,” he shared.
The record also showed that the number of tourist arrivals in the pre-pandemic period in 2019 doubled compared to 2025 data.
Tourism in South Cotabato continues to gain momentum as visitor confidence steadily returns following the challenges of the pandemic. The increase in tourist arrivals is largely driven by the growing popularity of local events and festivals, which have become major attractions for both residents and visitors from nearby regions.
At the same time, stronger tourism promotion efforts and improved accessibility to key destinations in the province have helped encourage more people to explore South Cotabato’s cultural and natural attractions. These factors collectively contribute to the sustained growth of the province’s tourism industry.
“This 84-percent growth in MICE events reflects the increasing recognition of Koronadal City as an emerging regional center for conferences, meetings, and institutional gatherings,” Matunding further explained.
The number of Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions or MICE activities in South Cotabato jumped from 778 in 2024 to 1,431 in 2025—an increase of about 84 percent, data revealed.
The province maintains a strong domestic tourism market, with most visitors coming from nearby regions, and has demonstrated a steady recovery following the pandemic.
“Its well-known cultural and nature destinations, particularly in areas such as Lake Sebu and the highland communities, continue to attract travelers seeking unique experiences. At the same time, the rise in meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) events has contributed to increased tourism activity in the province,” he noted.
Despite these gains, tourism officials see several opportunities to further strengthen the sector. These include attracting more foreign tourists, encouraging visitors to stay longer in the province, and promoting multi-day tourism circuits that allow travelers to explore multiple destinations across South Cotabato.
He emphasized the importance of maximizing these opportunities to sustain tourism growth.
“South Cotabato already has a strong foundation for tourism with our natural attractions, vibrant culture, and growing events sector. Our next step is to expand our reach to international markets and encourage visitors to explore more destinations in the province so they can experience the full range of what South Cotabato has to offer,” Matunding said.
