AN online debate over the weekend, initiated by a complaint posted by a resident of Bohol about an overpriced meal, has drawn public attention to what some wish was merely an ugly stereotype of the Philippines, but unfortunately seems to be reality far too often for many visitors. Price-gouging of tourists does happen — or is at least perceived to happen — and it is an issue that needs to be firmly addressed.
The original complainant related that she had gone with her family to a local restaurant in the Panglao area of Bohol, and was charged P1,650 for a dinner consisting of one small fried pompano fish, a price she considered grossly excessive. Many netizens agreed, with some pointing out that sort of fish, particularly in Bohol where they are abundant, only costs P200 to P300, and that the prepared meal was probably twice what it should have cost. Other commenters, some natives of Bohol and others who have visited the island province in the past, also shared their stories of being overcharged for various things such as food, transportation and basic services. The stories eventually expanded to include other parts of the Philippines, as well, and highlighted that foreign visitors seem particularly at risk of being overcharged, in what is sardonically dubbed the “skin tax,” where vendors and service providers charge one price for Filipino customers and a higher price for obvious foreigners.
Tourism is a particularly sensitive issue for Bohol because it is a cornerstone of the local economy, and has suffered a severe downturn in the last year, worse than any other tourism area in the Philippines. Bohol recorded a disastrous 59.1-percent decline in tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2026, welcoming only 170,016 visitors, compared with 417,142 in the same period a year earlier.
The online news outlet Radar.ph picked up on the story, and suggested the problem is nationwide, citing examples of complaints of overpriced transport fares and meals in Cebu, Metro Manila and Palawan, among others. But Radar.ph also rounded out its reporting with opposing views, particularly from another longtime Bohol resident who fairly pointed out that a handful of bad experiences, while something that should be addressed and corrected, did not necessarily represent the cause of the tourism downturn, nor automatically paint the local industry as being opportunistic.
The issue of the high cost of tourism in the Philippines is nothing new. For years, even domestic travelers have complained that it is less expensive to travel to nearby countries than it is to other places in the Philippines. Inter-island travel, particularly by air, is significantly more expensive than comparable routes elsewhere in the world, and the prices of services such as transportation, lodging and food in Philippine tourist areas, particularly the most popular destinations such as Boracay, El Nido and Panglao are elevated as well. When the cost is added to shortcomings in other areas, such as inefficient transportation links and infrastructure and poor internet connectivity, even if one does not encounter price-gouging or outright scams, the experience can leave a lot to be desired.
On the other hand, we must take into consideration the tough economics facing the tourism industry at the moment. Prices in tourism areas are naturally higher due to demand, and when unfavorable conditions such as elevated fuel prices, higher costs of supplies, and the weak peso are factored in, it is unreasonable to expect that our land of beautiful beaches and friendly people is necessarily a land of travel bargains. Tourism providers should be able to charge fair prices, but that does not give them license to engage in fraudulent or abusive practices.
A simple fix to the problem of overcharging and price-gouging is to enforce a “no displayed price, no sale” rule. Radar.ph highlighted this in its report, and it has been given lip service by the Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry, and local government leaders for years. Enforcement, however, is obviously the weak link; while some localities are diligent about requiring transport providers to display approved fare matrices and vendors to post prices for their goods or label them clearly, others are not. In this context, the province of Bohol and the local governments there may only have themselves to blame for losing nearly 60 percent of their tourism business due to a reputation for being unreasonably expensive. Start with imposing consistency, and things will improve; other, more complex issues will also become easier to study and address.