DOT: Visa-free entry for Chinese travelers seen to boost PH tourism

Passengers flock to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 in Pasay City on March 25, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu – The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Wednesday said the visa-free entry for Chinese travelers to the Philippines could boost the country's tourism sector, noting that this would further support destinations still struggling to restore pre-pandemic figures.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said her agency's mandate is to promote the Philippines, adding that they have been a "strong proponent" for the liberalization of visa policies.

"Our direct competitors in the region already liberalized their visas to the Chinese market. That being said, we know the dependency of the Philippines as far as our markets [are] concerned… with China contributing greatly prior to the pandemic," Frasco told reporters during the sidelines of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026 in Mactan Shrine. 

READ: Chinese tourists, business visitors to get 14-day visa-free entry from January 16

For the tourism chief, it has been "very difficult" to recover these numbers without the Chinese market.

"Which was why we are grateful to our President who has directed, by way of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the institution of visa-free travel coming into the country," said Frasco.

"At the end of the day, tourism is about the people, tourism is about the livelihood. And whatever… way, whatever…measure we can support the continuous employment of our tourism stakeholders in the Philippines, we will definitely support," she added. 

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier announced that the country would allow Chinese nationals to enter the country visa-free for up to 14 days beginning January 16.

Under the new policy, Chinese nationals traveling to the Philippines for tourism or business purposes may avail of the visa-free entry privilege. The visa-free entry will be valid only for arrivals through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Metro Manila and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in Cebu.

The 14-day stay is non-extendable and cannot be converted to any other Philippine visa category.

Latest data provided by the DOT showed that China ranked 6th in tourist arrivals in 2025 with only 262,144 Chinese tourists visiting the Philippines, which the agency attributed to "visa disruptions, security perceptions, and limited air connectivity."

READ: Philippines logs 6.48 million tourists in 2025; DOT targets more for 2026