MANILA, 8 November 2023: President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr said the government is already fine-tuning some measures to extend the scope of the electronic visas (e-Visa) issued to foreigners, according to the Philippines News Agency.
PNA quoted a news release issued by the Presidential Communications Office on Sunday that suggested new provisions for e-Visa extensions were in the pipeline and would be implemented for specific nationalities such as India.
In March, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Frasco discussed with the heads of the Bureau of Immigration and Departments of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Information and Communications Technology called for visa reforms to address tourism bottlenecks.
Frasco particularly cited China and India’s potential to bring in more travellers and said government agencies must explore the provision of e-Visas for residents of nations that are strong source markets for tourism to the Philippines.
DOT data showed India ranked eighth among top foreign visitors in 2022, with 51,542, while China recorded more than 1.7 million Chinese visitors before the pandemic.
(Source: Philippines News Agency)
