Boracay island sailboat operator Sherwine Constantino longs to see Chinese tourists once again strolling on the resort isle’s white-sand beaches. Since tighter entry policies were slapped on visitors from China two years ago, his business has suffered greatly.
Instead of bookings for eight trips a day, Constantino considers himself lucky if he gets two.
However, starting yesterday, the government eased restrictions to help nearly 7 million Filipino tourism workers like Constantino by implementing easier electronic visas for Chinese visitors. It has removed curbs put in place in late 2023 over concerns that some visitors from China were involved in scams and illegal gambling.
photo: EPA-EFE
The Philippines is re-embracing Chinese travelers after overseas tourist arrivals plunged to a three-year low in September, putting at risk a sector that accounts for nearly one-10th of economic output. The country has also been a regional laggard in post-COVID-19 pandemic tourism recovery, as Chinese visitors opt for neighboring countries like Vietnam.
“Removing restrictions on Chinese tourists will be a huge help for us. We really need legal visitors from China here,” Constantino said.
The Philippine Department of Tourism said the easier visa policy “addresses a gap that has constrained our regional competitiveness.”
“This development is therefore both necessary and overdue,” Philippine Secretary of Tourism Christina Frasco said in a statement last month.
However, the welcome mat for Chinese tourists has triggered some pushback amid geopolitical tensions between Manila and Beijing.
Philippine Representative Rufus Rodriguez urged Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to scrap the e-visa plan for Chinese nationals, raising concerns over possible spying and other crimes.
The easier visa policy is also “contrary” to the government’s current policy against Beijing’s aggression in the disputed South China Sea, Rodriguez said.
Philippine travel agencies, on the other hand, are longing for the return of Chinese tourists.
“We are really waiting for our Chinese visitors to return,” said Harold Atondo, who heads tour company ATD Xperience.
Its partner hotels, transport services and Chinese-speaking guides are making preparations, though the return will be gradual, particularly to top destinations such as Boracay and gaming complexes in Manila and nearby provinces, he said.
Indeed, Chinese tourists are being wooed by other countries, such as Malaysia and Thailand, which offer even easier visa-free entry for visitors from China.
Meanwhile, domestic carriers such as Cebu Air Inc and Philippine Airlines Inc have cut back flights to China amid weak demand, making trips from China to the country less convenient than before.
The Philippine tourism industry might eventually be stronger. The interlude led companies to explore strategies to widen markets from which to draw new visitors, said Chal Lontoc-Del Rosario from the Philippine Travel Agencies Association.
“In a way, it helped businesses here in the Philippines refocus our strategies in terms of inbound tourism,” she said.
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