Travel platform Klook said on Wednesday that Filipino travelers are likely to explore domestic and other nearby countries, as the effects of the ongoing war in the Middle East take hold.
“Due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, due to the fluctuation of oil prices, we see that Filipinos are still traveling but prefer to stay closer to home,” said Klook Philippines General Manager Michelle Ho in a press conference.
“And that could mean at home or that could mean an hour or two by plane outside the Philippines,” he added.
Although the cost of travel is increasing globally, Ms Ho noted that Filipinos still aim to travel to ‘predictable cities’.
“The truth is that people feel that there is a lot to be expected,” he said. “If I’m going to spend this much money on my next outing, I’d better go to a predictable city.”
“Their choices, where they should go and how they spend their money, that’s changing,” he added.
Data from Klook’s Travel Pulse 2026 revealed that Northeast Asia (67%), Southeast Asia (30%), and South Asia and Oceania (3%) are the top travel destinations among Filipinos this year.
“Regardless of what happens from a macroeconomic perspective, I think what we are seeing is that Filipinos love to travel, and they love to do so abroad and at home,” Ms. Ho told reporters in an interview.
“What will change is the frequency, how often they will travel home compared to other countries,” he added.
By 2025, the platform recorded 71% of its Filipino users traveling locally. The top booked destinations are Metro Manila, Boracay, Cebu, Cavite, and Pampanga.
“I would say that livestock remains an important driver of Philippine travel and Philippine tourism, and that will continue,” he said.
THE LAW OF REAL INTELLIGENCE AND COURTS
With the rise of content creators and artificial intelligence (AI) in the country, Filipinos are now using both services in their travel plans.
“AI can synthesize information, AI can provide this basic information,” Ms. Ho said.
“But when it comes to actually being able to share what’s happening, I think that’s where our consumers depend on social content creators, friends, family,” he added.
The report revealed that the use of AI for travel-related concerns is more prominent among millennials compared to Generation Z.
Comparative data showed that 41% of millennials use AI to search for travel deals, compared to 37.7% of younger generations.
Such a trend can also be seen in job searches (48.9%), location research (60.3%), and flight and hotel searches (44.1%).
“What we are seeing is that the adoption is high. I can say that the increase is amazing, in my opinion,” said Ms. Ho. “So it’s a collective vision, in the sense that they’re relying on AI platforms to get, to get basic research.”
Klook’s Travel Pulse 2026 report was conducted among 11,000 users worldwide, including 500 participants from the Philippines. – Almira Louise S. Martinez
