The Philippines hopes to expand visa-free entry for Chinese tourists
The Department of Tourism wants the Philippines’ 14-day visa-free entry arrangement for Chinese nationals to be extended to more entry points.
The Philippines.- The Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) has said that it hopes to expand the coverage of its visa-free entry arrangement for Chinese tourists to more entry points. The department says it is working with Chinese authorities on an agreement to expand the scheme beyond Cebu and Manila.
The current arrangement allows Chinese nationals to enter the Philippines visa-free for up to 14 days through Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila and Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu. The new proposal would add Bohol, Palawan, Clark, and Caticlan.
According to the Philippine News Agency, Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay told press: “If we’re going to get all the other agencies (to) sign up on this, then we can expect a lot more chartered flights from China and a lot more arrivals.”
“We’re working very hard, and we came up with a nice position paper that not only includes the economic impact but also hard data support,” Angara-Mathay added.
According to the latest DOT data, 310,088 Chinese travellers visited the country between January and August, representing a 69.15 per cent year-on-year increase. China recorded the highest growth among the Philippines’ top 10 source markets for foreign visitors during the period, followed by India, which registered a 32.2 per cent increase.
