The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines is a sovereign island country in Southeast Asia situated in the western Pacific Ocean

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines is a sovereign island country in Southeast Asia situated in the western Pacific Ocean

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines is a sovereign island country in Southeast Asia situated in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 7,107 islands that are categorized broadly under three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Its capital city is Manila while its most populous city is Quezon City; both are part of Metro Manila.

To the north of the Philippines across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan; Vietnam sits west across the South China Sea; southwest is the island of Borneo across the Sulu Sea, and to the south the Celebes Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia; while to the east it is bounded by the Philippine Sea and the island-nation of Palau.

The travel and tourism sector is a major contributor to the economy, contributing 7.1% share in the Philippine GDP and employing 1,226,500 jobs, accounting for 3.2 percent of total employment in the country in 2013.The industry had grown by US$4.8 billion in 2013 2,433,428 international visitors have arrived in the country from January to June 2014 up by 2.22% in the same period in 2013. South Korea, China, and Japan accounted for 58.78% while Americas accounted for 19.28% and Europe 10.64%.The governing body Department of Tourism has the responsibility for the management and promotion of the tourism sector. On January 6, 2012. A new slogan named "It's More Fun in the Philippines" of the tourism department was launched and ranked third in world's best marketing campaigns according to Warc 100.

As an archipelago consisting of 7,107 islands, Philippines has numerous beaches, caves and other rock formations. Tourist attractions in the country includes the white sand beaches of Boracay, named as the best island in the world by Travel + Leisure in 2012,commercial shopping malls located in Manila including the SM Mall of Asia, Festival Supermall, etc., Banaue Rice Terraces in Ifugao, historic town of Vigan, Chocolate Hills in Bohol, Magellan's Cross in Cebu, Tubbataha Reef in Visayas and others in the rest of the country.