Philippine offshore gaming ban could bring relaxed visa rules for Chinese tourists, consultant says

Alfred Lay believes stricter visa rules were imposed due to fears Chinese tourists might work for offshore gaming operators.

The Philippines.- Alfred Lay, director of Leechiu Property Consultants’ Hotels, Tourism, and Leisure team, has suggested that the ban on offshore gaming operators in the Philippines might lead to discussions about relaxing visa restrictions for Chinese tourists. At the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) general membership meeting in Manila, Lay said he believed stricter visa rules had been imposed on Chinese nationals mainly out of concern that they would use tourist visas to enter the Philippines to work in offshore gaming.

Lay suggested that once gaming operators are shut down, authorities should consider easing visa restrictions for Chinese arrivals. This could align the Philippines with its Southeast Asian neighbours and make the country more appealing to Chinese visitors.

Lay said China was an important market for the Philippines and that efforts should be made to attract more visitors. The Department of Tourism (DOT) has planned to focus on boosting arrivals from other source markets such as South Korea, the United States and Japan due to the slow return of Chinese tourists.

Earlier this month, the DOT reported that the Philippines received 3.28 million foreign tourists in the first seven months of the year. There were 219,743 visitors from China, making up 6.2 per cent of all arrivals. This was a 54 per cent increase from last year.

During the first seven months of the year, the Philippines recorded over 3.55m visitors. For 2024, the Philippines aims to attract 7.7 million arrivals.