South Korea the chief source of tourists
Recognizing the potential value of Chinese and Indian tourism, the Philippine government is reportedly about to issue “visas upon arrival” for the two visitor groups.
According to Asia Gaming Brief, Department of Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon said the two countries are “major markets that we have to really look out for in terms of facilitating entry.”
Bengzon said the government is considering assigning Mandarin-speaking personnel to airports to better communicate with Chinese tourists.
In 2017, South Korean tourists dominated, with 1.6 million arrivals during the year. That was followed by China and the United States. India came in at 12th with fewer than 108,000 arrivals last year, reported AGB. From January to May this year, almost 560,000 Chinese tourists visited the Philippines, up 44 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the country would also like to see more tourists from Japan. For the second half of 2018, “We look forward with excitement to hitting a new high in Japanese tourism arrivals by breaching the 600,000 mark,” she said. Japan ranked fourth in tourism arrivals in 2017, with total visitors reaching more than 584,000.
In August of last year, the Philippine government allowed visas upon arrival for Chinese visitors who are part of tour groups from operators accredited by the Department of Tourism, reported the Xinhua News Agency. Applications had to be filed 10 days before arrival with a visa fee of US$25.
