In an interview during the Philippine Hotel Industry Strategic Action Plan (PHISAP) on October 16, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco acknowledged that external factors and restrictive visa policies are impacting the country’s visitor projections for 2024.
Frasco stated, “We do have challenges in terms of chasing after the projected number, especially given the geopolitical stresses affecting these arrivals, over which we have little control.”
She highlighted that the Philippine government’s visa policies are more limited compared to those of its ASEAN neighbors. “That is why we continue to advocate for a liberalized visa system to be implemented by the Department of Foreign Affairs in partnership with the Bureau of Immigration,” Frasco added.
According to the latest data from the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Philippines has welcomed 4.43 million international visitors as of September 2024, with South Korea leading as the top market, contributing over one million arrivals.
Frasco noted that the country’s stricter visa policies toward China will hinder a swift return of Chinese travelers. “The simple reality is that the issuance of visas to the Chinese market has been publicly declared to be more stringent. Thus, we cannot expect a flourishing market from that jurisdiction,” she explained.
Before the pandemic struck in 2020, China was the Philippines’ second-largest source of visitors, with 1.35 million arrivals recorded from January to September 2019. This year, however, the number of Chinese visitors has plummeted to just 260,134.
In response to these challenges, Frasco emphasized the DOT’s focus on top source markets, including South Korea, the United States, and Japan, while also exploring opportunities in markets like India. She concluded by noting that tourism arrival comparisons should be made alongside visitor receipts, which have already surpassed 100 percent recovery compared to 2019 levels.