The Philippines has a diverse natural environment, with a warm and humid tropical climate. There are vast areas of jungle and forest, beautiful beaches, fertile farmlands and volcanoes, several of which are still classed as active. With so many islands there are also numerous beaches offering white sands and great diving, plus some beautiful inland areas, such as Lake Sebu in Mindanao, a vast lake surrounded by forested hills.
Tourist numbers in recent years have been growing and now account for just over a million visitors per annum. Cebu saw a majority of those numbers with 500,000, an increase of 24% on the previous year. Unfortunately, the Philippines suffer repeated typhoons, which mainly strike during the wet season in June to November. Earthquakes are also a regular occurrence.
The country has a reputation for being warm and friendly and the cost of living is low. The Philippines are seen by many as having the potential to be as successful in business and tourism as other countries in Southeast Asia, such as Thailand and Malaysia. However, there are reports from business sectors of problems with corruption and bribery that have put some corporations off investing here. In addition, there have been reports of kidnappings in Manila of some members of the business community. Several terrorist attacks also happened in the Manila and Mindanao province a few years ago and, though these have not reoccurred recently, there are areas of the country where religious tensions exist.

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