Paradise Islands in the Center of Southeast Asia

The Philippine Islands, with more than seven thousand islands, have been recognized as the most beautiful tropical archipelago in the world. Pristine nature, mountain ranges, volcanoes and cliffs, underground rivers, hot springs, caves and lakes, skyscrapers and colonial houses in Manila, modern shopping malls, delicious exotic cuisine, discos, clubs, and high-quality service – all this attracts tourists.

Interesting fact: The Philippines is one of the few countries in Asia with a predominantly Christian population. 86% of its residents are Catholic, 8.2% are Protestant, and 3.4% are followers of other Christian religions. Religious minorities include Buddhists and Muslims.

The Philippine Islands can be called tropical. They have a predominantly subequatorial climate in the north and an equatorial climate in the rest of the island. Temperatures here never drop below 24°C and can rise to 40°C. The average coastal water temperature is 28°C. The optimal time to travel around the islands is from January to the end of May, when there is still no sweltering heat and frequent tropical rains.
The Philippines offers tourists a wide variety of leisure activities. First of all, these are beach holidays. The most popular beaches are on the islands of Boracay, Cebu, Palawan, Mactan and Bohol.

It should be noted that Boracay Island, famous for its long white-sand beaches, was closed for six months for «environmental rehabilitation» on April 26, 2018, due to numerous environmental violations. During this time, the island's sewer system was completely modernized. Restaurants, casinos, and souvenir shops disappeared from the beaches. All establishments are now located behind a pedestrian walkway and the beach itself has been significantly expanded. The atmosphere has become more respectable and relaxed, as the vibrant nightlife has moved from the beach to the bars and restaurants. Furthermore, the old gas-powered trikes have been replaced by quiet, eco-friendly, and more comfortable electric trikes (e-trikes).

The Philippines is also a popular ecotourism destination. Birdwatching and wildlife watching are offered in nature reserves and national parks. The most famous ecotourism destination is the island of Palawan, with its El Nido region and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River.

Active recreation is also quite popular, including mountain and volcano climbing, diving, surfing, rafting, and kiteboarding.

The Philippines is also an attractive shopping destination, home to three of the world's largest shopping malls: SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, and SM City North EDSA.

The Philippines isn't a mass destination for Russian tourists, but it does have its own dedicated audience. Tourists choosing the Philippines are quite diverse, with their profile varying depending on the client base, the range of offers offered by a particular tour operator, and the type of vacation requested (beach or combination tour). Combination tours, primarily those that include visits to Japan and South Korea, are quite popular.

One thing is certain: these are no budget tourists in the traditional way of understanding. Tourists from Russia and CIS countries are mostly organized group visitors of the Philippines.  They can not only plan their trip to the Philippines with expert help, including flight connections, additional emergency insurance, but also save significant money.

However, according to general estimates by Russian tour operators, the clients come to the Philippines specifically for a beach vacation, requesting accommodation in hotels 3* to 5* with bed and breakfast.

For example, according to the Philippines Department of Tourism, 17,842 Russian citizens entered the country from January to July 2025, which is 15.8% increase compared to the same months in 2024 (15,413).

According to all market participants, not easy flight connection the main factor hindering the Philippines as a destination. Residents of the European part of Russia are still traveling to the Philippines via hubs in other countries. Since there are no direct flights to the Philippines from Moscow, tour operators are booking blocks of seats of international air companies such as Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Oman Air, China Southern and China Eastern. 
An important step in this direction was the launch of direct flights to Boracay Island by Russian airline Iraero in late October 2025 from two Russian cities – Irkutsk and Khabarovsk. Flights are operated on comfortable Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The flight duration is about 8 hours, including technical stop at Chinese airports – in Ningbo (on flights from Khabarovsk) and in Guilin (on flights from Irkutsk).

The experts of the destination emphasize that the Philippine islands have great potential on the Russian market. Among the positive factors influencing the choice of a travel destination are visa-free entry (for 30 days), accommodation for every taste and budget, a large number of flights from foreign air companies, even with transfers, and the opening of direct flights from Siberia and the Far East.
In conclusion, we quote Igor Bailen, ambassador of the Philippines to Russia: «Tourism is not just about money. It's about the ties between countries and the relationships between people from different cultures».

2026 Philippines host 45th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) a global travel industry event, Bringing together a dynamic mix of ASEAN Tourism Ministers, National Tourism Organisations (NTOs), senior officials, TRAVEX exhibitors, international buyers, and media, ATF 2026 continues its tradition of promoting ASEAN as one united tourism destination.

As an official hosted media Russian Travel Digest will report from Macta, Cebu.

Photos by: TTG Media