India is a significant tourism market for the Philippines, prompting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to accelerate e-visa processing for Indian nationals. Currently, Indians must personally visit embassies for e-visa applications, a process that takes approximately a month, according to authorities. Marcos emphasized the need to streamline this procedure and has instructed a study to simplify e-visa transactions. He referenced India's efficient system as a potential model, as reported by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). Indian tourists typically stay in the Philippines for about eight nights, spending $100 per person per day, according to the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) Tourism Sector Group. Approximately 78% of these tourists stay in hotels, engaging in activities such as shopping, sightseeing, beach holidays, diving, visiting friends and relatives, and business investments. The Department of Tourism (DOT) highlighted that expediting e-visas would boost tourist arrivals from India, enhancing the entry process and creating a more welcoming environment. Lucio Tan, LT Group president and CEO and a PSAC Tourism Sector Group member, proposed using a third-party service provider to manage the e-visa system, ensuring continuous monitoring and immediate resolution of any issues, thereby streamlining the application process and potentially increasing applications due to faster processing.
Text: Lara Palmer
05.07.2024
President Marcos Jr orders faster e-visa processing to boost tourism from India