The Department of Tourism is pushing for the relaxation of the Philippine visa policy, including the resumption of the e-Visa program, to stimulate travel and interest from Chinese tourists and other nations.
“Visa facilitation has always been a decisive factor in capturing travelers from major markets such as China,” the DOT said in a statement on Sunday, September 7.
“While many of our ASEAN neighbors have eased or waived requirements and reaped significant gains, the suspension of the Philippines’ e-visa program —combined with strict daily visa caps for free independent travelers (FITs)— constrains our ability to serve charter flights that typically operate two to three times a week,” the DOT said.
The DOT said appointment slots for FITs or those who book their own flights and hotels have been “limited” while group visa applications have been “restricted to only twice a week.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Saturday stated that its embassy and consulates have taken steps to meet the current demand in China, and cater to more tourists should visa applications increase.
The DOT, on the other hand, said easing visa requirements “directly stimulates demand” as seen in the sharp turnaround in arrivals from different source markets.
“We value our close coordination with the DFA and our Foreign Service Posts in advancing our shared vision of increasing tourist arrivals and strengthening the industry,” the DOT said.
“At the same time, we respectfully emphasize that true competitiveness requires not only the capacity to respond once demand arises, but also the proactive removal of barriers that may be holding it back,” the DOT emphasized.
Citing an example, the DOT noted that Indian arrivals had already rebounded from a -21 percent growth rate at the end of January 2025 to 4.93 percent as of the end of August 2025, following the granting of visa-free privileges to India on June 8.
The latest Indian arrival data, as of Sept. 5, 2025, also translated to a 5.01 percent increase from the 2024 figures in the same period.
The DOT said it has been looking forward to working closely with the DFA and other relevant agencies “to ease travel further, resolve bottlenecks, and ensure that the Philippines can compete on equal footing.”
From 1.7 million to 182,000
Before the pandemic, China was the country’s second top source market with 1.7 million visitors in 2019, lagging only behind South Korea with 1.9 million.
But by 2025, arrivals from the Chinese market from January to August decreased by 24.40 percent to 182,228 from the 241,041 recorded in the same period in 2024.
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco earlier attributed the Philippines’ missed 2024 target of 7.7 million foreign visitors to various factors, including the “postponed e-Visa program for the Chinese market.”
In a House of Representatives budget hearing, she pointed out that the Philippines “would have been able to bring in” 2 million more in arrivals “had we been able to continue the e-Visa program.”
In a statement on Saturday, September 6, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Angelica Escalona clarified that the visa requirements currently in place were not intended to prevent tourists from entering the country.
“(They) are intended precisely to assist the country in ensuring that legitimate travelers are given visas to enter the Philippines,” she said.
“All our Posts can meet the current demand for visas. Should the demand increase, the Department is ready to meet any increase in demand.”
The DFA declined to comment further when asked if the program would resume soon.
Escalona, meanwhile, said the DFA would continue working with the DOT, as well as with other relevant government agencies and the private sector, to strengthen Philippine tourism.
“In line with its economic diplomacy mandate, the DFA shares the vision of the DOT in enhancing tourist arrivals and strengthening the tourism industry,” she said.
“Our Foreign Service Posts continue to implement tourism promotion activities in this regard.”
