DOT seeks China visa-free extension 

Visitor arrivals from China jumped nearly 70 percent this year, a rebound the Department of Tourism (DOT) largely attributes to the 14-day visa-free entry arrangement for Chinese nationals, which it hopes to extend before its expiration in 2027.

Latest DOT data showed that arrivals from China reached 394,394 from Jan. 1 to Nov. 4, up 69.78 percent from 232,299 in the same period last year.

That rapid growth propelled China to fourth place among the Philippines’ largest tourism source markets, overtaking Australia and Canada. It accounted for 7.89 percent of the 5 million international visitor arrivals recorded during the period.

Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said the department was working to secure an extension of the visa-free arrangement, which currently allows eligible Chinese nationals to enter through Manila and Cebu for up to 14 days.

“We’re all working very, very hard behind the scenes,” Angara-Mathay told reporters on Thuresday, stressing the urgency of announcing an extension ahead of Chinese holiday travel periods.

Already, the DOT has prepared a position paper backed to support its proposal. Angara-Mathay said Chinese tourists tend to spend more and stay longer, making the market particularly valuable to the tourism industry.

What the DOT is waiting for is approval from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), which ultimately has authority over the country’s visa policies.

Angara-Mathay said there were no indications of a move to scrap the arrangement, although some government agencies may have security-related reservations.

But she stressed that such concerns should not discourage the Philippines from attracting legitimate Chinese tourists.

“As I said, you don’t throw the baby with the bathwater. What you just have to do is strengthen your monitoring, because there are legitimate (Chinese tourists) who enter,” she added.

Apart from extending the existing arrangement, the DOT is also working to expand visa-free entry to more gateways, particularly those serving popular beach destinations.

Earlier, Angara-Mathay said the department wanted to include airports serving Clark, Caticlan, Palawan and Bohol, among other destinations.

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For now, however, retaining the arrangement at Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Mactan-Cebu International Airport remains the immediate priority.

“We’ll be happy with just an extension for Manila and Cebu,” Angara-Mathay said. “It’s just a bonus if we add one or two more (airports).”

The proposed expansion comes as the Philippines seeks to rebuild its Chinese tourism market, which has yet to recover to its prepandemic levels.

Based on DOT data as of Nov. 4, the United States remained the country’s largest source of international visitors, with 986,343 arrivals. South Korea followed with 870,980, despite previously being the country’s leading source market.

Japan ranked third with 429,544 arrivals, followed by China with 394,394 and Australia with 291,811.

Angara-Mathay said the DOT was aiming to match last year’s roughly 6.4 million international arrivals, although she expressed optimism that the total could reach 6.7 million by yearend.