The Philippines will implement stricter visa requirements for Chinese tourists, the Foreign Undersecretary Jesus Domingo has revealed.
Such measures have been taken amid national security concerns and are expected to enter into force this week, VisaGuide.World reports.
Under the new rules, Chinese applicants will be required to show social security papers issued by the government, along with bank statements and employment certificates, as reported by Inquirer.net.
Our reforms are aimed largely at better security. There will be (fewer) instances of unsavory people coming in to commit heinous crimes against their fellow Chinese.
In addition, authorities will raise the minimum number of group applicants from three to ten. However, group applicants are not necessarily required to apply personally at the Philippine consular office in China.
‘We Are Looking for Quality Tourists, Not Pogo Workers’
As Domingo explained, the Philippines aims to attract more “quality tourists” and not foreign workers involved in illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators, known as Pogo.
We are urging our (diplomatic) posts to have a renewed tourism drive but we are looking at more quality tourists and not Pogo (workers).
Domingo further noted several issues that Philippine authorities face, such as “fraudulently acquiring visas” and “overstaying” Chinese tourists.
There are also instances of attempted bribery of the Philippine consular staff by agents.
China Emerged Among Top 3 Source Markets for Visitors
Official data shows that the Philippines welcomed over 1.2 million international arrivals between January 1 and March 5, 2024. According to the Department of Tourism, such a figure represents nearly a 23 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Foreign tourists made up nearly 95 percent of arrivals, reaching 1.16 million, whereas overseas Filipinos accounted for 67,686.
China emerged as the Philippines’ third source market for visitors, contributing to seven percent of international arrivals. Overall, the highest number of international tourists in the Philippines were from the following countries: South Korea, the US, China, Japan, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Germany.
In addition to the number of visitors, the Philippines saw an increase in tourism revenue. According to the Visitor Sample Survey, estimated visitor receipts for January 2024 reached $652.26 million, marking a nearly five per cent increase compared to those recorded in January 2023.