Tourism is an important industry in

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. In 2012, the city and region welcomed 974,379 overnight visitors. As the main gateway to the Philippines' many destinations, the city is visited by the majority of international tourists to the country registering a total of 3,139,756 arrivals in 2012. ''

Global Blue Global Blue is a tourism shopping tax refund company headquartered in Nyon, Switzerland. The company is best known for tax-free shopping, a VAT/GST refund product and also operates in dynamic currency conversion, marketing services, point-of-sale ...

'' ranked Manila eleventh in its "Best Shopping Destinations" in Asia. The city is ranked tenth in MasterCard's global top 20 fastest growing cities for international visitors from 2009-2013.

Attractions

contains several notable attractions including a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

and 45 other cultural heritage landmarks. These cultural attractions are mostly concentrated in the City of

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

and offer a glimpse into the city's

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

, Spanish, and

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

origins. Popular sites include the Spanish colonial buildings in

Intramuros Intramuros (Latin for "inside the walls") is the historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila. Present-day I ...

, the World Heritage Site of San Agustin Church, Rizal Park, and a few

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

and

Revival style Revivalism in architecture is the use of visual styles that consciously echo the style of a previous architectural era. Notable revival styles include Neoclassical architecture (a revival of Classical architecture), and Gothic Revival (a reviva ...

buildings like

National Museum of Anthropology The National Museum of Anthropology ( es, Museo Nacional de Antropología, MNA) is a national museum of Mexico. It is the largest and most visited museum in Mexico. Located in the area between Paseo de la Reforma and Mahatma Gandhi Street withi ...

, National Museum of Fine Arts, and

National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. In 2021, with 7 ...

. There are also modern attractions such as the

Manila Ocean Park The Manila Ocean Park, also known as Ocean Park, is an oceanarium in Manila, Philippines. It is owned by China Oceanis Philippines Inc., a subsidiary of China Oceanis Inc., a Singaporean-registered firm. It is located behind the Quirino Grandst ...

, the integrated resort complex of Resorts World Manila, and the newly opened Solaire Resort & Casino, City of Dreams Manila and

Okada Manila Okada Manila ( ja, オカダマニラ, Okada Manira) is a casino resort and hotel complex located on the Entertainment City gaming strip in Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines. In 2007, with a total construction cost of about 250 billion Yen ...

in Entertainment City.

Within the City of Manila

is a historic

fortified A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

complex that is home to Manila's oldest colonial structures. Tourist attractions located inside the complex include

Fort Santiago Fort Santiago ( es, Fuerte de Santiago; fil, Kutà ng Santiago), built in 1571, is a citadel built by Spanish navigator and governor Miguel López de Legazpi for the newly established city of Manila in the Philippines. The defense fortress is lo ...

, a Spanish

citadel A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. In ...

located at the mouth of the

Pasig River The Pasig River ( fil, Ilog Pasig) is a water body in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it bisects the Philippine capital of Manila and Metro Manila, its surrounding urban area into northern and souther ...

near

Manila Cathedral The Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception ( fil, Basilika Menor at Kalakhang Katedral ng Kalinis-linisang Paglilihi; es, Basílica Menor y Catedral Metropolitana de la Inmaculada Concepción), also known as the ...

, a 19th-century ecclesiastical building which is the seat of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila ( lat, Archidioecesis Manilensis; fil, Arkidiyosesis ng Maynilà; es, Arquidiócesis de Manila) is the archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Metro Manila, Philippines, encompassing ...

, San Agustin Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located just outside Intramuros is the Rizal Park. It is a 58 hectares (140 acres) historical

urban park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to resi ...

located along Roxas Boulevard. The Rizal Monument, located in the center of the park, is the memorial to the Philippine national hero,

José Rizal José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is considered the national he ...

. Museums within Manila include the

, an anthropology and archaeology museum; the National Museum of Fine Arts, formerly the National Art Gallery; and the

, where Philippine history around the past are found. The districts of Ermita and Malate are Manila's center for culture, commerce, entertainment and tourism. Ermita, located outside the walls of Intramuros near Luneta, is home to major government buildings and many hotels. The

is an oceanarium with a marine-themed mall and hotel, it is located behind Quirino Grandstand, which fronts Rizal Park. Malate, the tourism center of Manila, is famous for the

Baywalk The Baywalk is a popular seaside promenade and beachfront overlooking Manila Bay along Roxas Boulevard in the Manila, Philippines. The Baywalk is a two-kilometre stretch from the US Embassy near Rizal Park up to the Cultural Center of the Phil ...

and the

Adriatico Street Adriatico Street is a north–south road connecting Ermita and Malate districts in Manila, Philippines. Its northern terminus is at Padre Faura Street in Ermita carrying southbound traffic all the way to Quirino Avenue in Malate. South of Quirino, ...

nightlife district.

Manila Zoo The Manila Zoo, formally known as the Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden, is a zoo located in Malate, Manila, Philippines. History The Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden first opened to the public on July 25, 1959, during the tenure ...

, the oldest zoo and botanical garden in the Philippines, is also located in that district.

Binondo Binondo () is a district in Manila and is referred to as the city's Chinatown. Its influence extends beyond to the places of Quiapo, Santa Cruz, San Nicolas and Tondo. It is the oldest Chinatown in the world, established in 1594 by the ...

, an old district of Manila that is home to Manila's

Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...

, is established since 1521. Its main attractions are Binondo Church,

Escolta Street Escolta Street (lit: Escort) is a historic east–west street located in the old downtown district of Binondo in Manila, Philippines. It runs parallel to the Pasig River, from Plaza Santa Cruz to Plaza Moraga and Quintin Paredes Street. The str ...

, Divisoria, and Chinese restaurants. Quiapo is the location of

Quiapo Church The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene ( es, Basílica Menor del Nazareno Negro; fil, Basílika Menor ng Itím na Nazareno), known canonically as the Parish of Saint John the Baptist and also known as Quiapo Church ( es, Iglesia Parroquial d ...

, which is home to the Black Nazarene. The San Sebastian Church, which is also located in Quiapo, is the only all-steel

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

basilica in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

. Major parks in Manila including

Paco Park The Paco Park (originally named as Cementerio General de Dilao) is a recreational garden and was once Manila's municipal cemetery built by the Dominicans during the Spanish colonial period. It is located on General Luna Street and at the east ...

, a recreational garden that was once a Spanish cemetery located in the district of Paco.

Malacañang Palace Malacañang Palace ( fil, Palasyo ng Malakanyang, ; es, Palacio de Malacañán), officially known as Malacañan Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila distric ...

, which is located on the bank of the

, is the official residence of the

President of the Philippines The president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sometimes referred to as ''Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of t ...

Other parts of Metro Manila

Makati CBD The Makati Central Business District (Makati CBD), is a financial and central business district in the Philippines located in the heart of Makati in Metro Manila. It is politically known as "Central Cluster" in the West District of Makati. It i ...

, one of

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

's biggest financial hubs, is noted for its cosmopolitan culture. The city is a major cultural and entertainment hub in

. The business districts of

Ortigas Center Ortigas Center is a central business district located within the joint boundaries of Pasig, Mandaluyong and Quezon City, within the Metro Manila region in the Philippines. With an area of more than , it is Metro Manila's second most important bu ...

and

Bonifacio Global City Bonifacio may refer to: Places * Bonifacio, Corse-du-Sud, a town in Corsica, France * Strait of Bonifacio, separating Corsica from Sardinia * Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental, a municipality in the Philippines * Bonifacio Global City, a central bu ...

are also other important cultural, financial and entertainment hubs in the metropolis. Bay City, an entertainment and leisure hub situated along

Manila Bay Manila Bay ( fil, Look ng Maynila) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Phili ...

, is home to the

SM Mall of Asia SM Mall of Asia, also abbreviated as SM MoA, or simply Mall of Asia or MoA, is a large shopping mall in the Philippines, located at Bay City, Pasay, Philippines, within the SM Central Business Park, a reclaimed area within Manila Bay, and the ...

Aseana City Aseana City (also known as Aseana Business Park) is a mixed-use central business district development located in Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines. Owned and developed by D.M. Wenceslao & Associates (DMWAI) through Aseana Holdings, it is ...

, and Entertainment City, which is being developed as a

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

-like gaming and entertainment complex. It contains the Solaire Resort & Casino, City of Dreams Manila,

and more world class integrated resort and casinos which are still under construction. Also located in Bay City is the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex, a 62-hectare (150-acre) arts and culture district along

Shopping

is the main shopping hub of the Philippines and is one of the well-known shopping destinations in the

Asia-Pacific Asia-Pacific (APAC) is the part of the world near the western Pacific Ocean. The Asia-Pacific region varies in area depending on context, but it generally includes East Asia, Russian Far East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and Pacific Isla ...

region. Numerous shopping centers are located around the metropolis and are usually clustered in major shopping districts such as the

and

while upscale-luxury shopping centers are concentrated in the business and financial district of Ayala Center. Traditional markets still remain a presence in Manila such as bazaars and markets.

Hotels and casinos

A number of hotels and casinos can be found around

. Makati, the financial hub of the metropolis is home to numerous international hotel chains.

is also home to various casinos and is becoming a major gaming destination in the region. A gaming and entertainment complex called Entertainment City will be home to four integrated casino resorts, this major development is expected to attract more tourists and rival other major gaming destinations in

such as

Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...

and

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

Parks and plazas

Manila offers a wide selection of parks and plazas. The county's premier park, Rizal Park is located in the heart of the bustling city. The park was the site of the execution of the country's national hero,

Jose Rizal Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galile ...

. Apart from Rizal Park, there also other parks located around Metro Manila such as

Quezon Memorial Circle The Quezon Memorial Circle is a national park located in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The park is located inside a large traffic circle in the shape of an ellipse and bounded by the Elliptical Road and is the main park of Quezon Cit ...

in Quezon City and the

Ayala Triangle Gardens The Ayala Triangle Gardens is a landscaped urban park in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is a triangular public garden and courtyard in the center of the Makati Central Business District. It was named after its owner and developer Ayala ...

in Makati. Plazas are usually found in the districts of Manila, notable ones are Plaza Miranda,

Plaza de Roma Plaza de Roma, also known as Plaza Roma, is one of three major public squares in Intramuros, Manila. It is bounded by Andres Soriano Avenue (formerly Calle Aduana) to the north, Cabildo Street to the east, Santo Tomas Street to the south, and Gen ...

Plaza Rajah Sulayman Plaza Rajah Sulayman, also known as Rajah Sulayman Park, is a public square in Malate, Manila. It is bounded by Roxas Boulevard to the west, San Andres Street to the south, and Remedios Street to the north. The plaza is considered the center of Ma ...

and

Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz or Plaza Lorenzo Ruiz () is a major public square in Binondo, Manila, bounded by Quintin Paredes Street (formerly ''Calle Rosario'') to the east and Juan Luna Street (formerly ''Calle Anloague'') to the west, parallel to the ...

Events

Festivals in Metro Manila include the

Feast of the Black Nazarene The Feast of the Black Nazarene (Filipino: ''Pista ng Itím na Nazareno''), also known as the ''Traslación'' after the mass procession associated with the feast, is a religious festival held in Manila, Philippines that is centered around the Bl ...

, which is held every January in Quiapo district, and it is the biggest religious festival in the city.

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Sinophone, Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly r ...

is celebrated in

district, the world's oldest Chinatown. Aliwan Fiesta is held annually in the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex, and it is a celebration of Filipino culture through dance parades, floats, and pageants.

Film festivals A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upon ...

include Cinemanila International Film Festival, which is the biggest global film event in Manila. Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival is another film festival held annually in July at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Metro Manila Film Festival is held every December during Christmas, and it is an all-Filipino-language film event.
Other events include

Manila International Auto Show The Manila International Auto Show is the Philippines’ biggest motor show in terms of visitor count, cars on display, and exhibitors. The show, previously known as The Manila International Motor Show, is an annual venue for car buyers and enthus ...

, the Philippines' biggest motor show at the

World Trade Center Metro Manila The World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM) is an exhibition center in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines.The first phase of venue was inaugurated by then President Fidel Ramos on October 28, 1996. The WTCMM is the first exhibition center in the Phi ...

, and the

World Pyro Olympics The Philippine International Pyromusical Competition initially known as the World Pyro Olympics, is an annual competition among fireworks manufacturers from different countries held in the Philippines which runs for five days for World Pyro Olym ...

, an annual competition among the world's fireworks companies held in

References

{{Metro Manila