Manila, Sept. 2 -- The tourism sector is projected to generate PHP2.7 trillion for the Philippine economy in 2025, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT) on Tuesday.

Speaking at the House of Representatives' hearing on the DOT's PHP3.7-billion proposed budget for 2026, Tourism Undersecretary Verna Buensuceso said domestic travel would continue to drive the sector this year.

"In terms of our indicative projections for 2025, in terms of tourism employment we're looking at 6.8 million and for gross value added, we're looking at PHP2.7 trillion," she told lawmakers.

In 2024, the share of the Tourism Direct Gross Value Added (TDGVA) to the economy reached PHP2.35 trillion or about 8.9 percent. Employment in the sector in the same year...