The Philippines will in November launch a new e-Visa application facility for Chinese nationals at the Philippine Embassy in Beijing as it looks to enable a rebound in Chinese tourism.
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said Friday that the new policy was aimed at improving accessibility for travelers, according to a report by state-run Philippine News Agency.
Foreign tourist arrivals to the Philippines are down 3.48% year-on-year through the first nine months of 2025, with the key markets of China and South Korea showing particular weakness. Department of Tourism figures reveal a 22.06% decline in arrivals from China – the most of any of the Philippines’ top markets.
“While we do not expect immediate surges in arrivals given the timing of implementation and broader external factors, this policy milestone provides a strong signal to the market that the Philippines is taking steps to improve accessibility,” said Frasco of the new e-Visa initiative.
“It restores confidence, not only among travelers but also among our tourism stakeholders who depend on timely and enabling government action.”
Franco added that the suspension of the e-Visa policy in 2023, mainly to implement system enhancements, had made it difficult for the Philippines to achieve its tourism goals – particularly in regard to China.
“This development is therefore both necessary and overdue,” she explained. “The relaunch of the e-Visa system directly responds to persistent market demand and industry feedback, and addresses a gap that has constrained our regional competitiveness for nearly three years.
“We extend our appreciation to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Embassy in Beijing for acting on this long-standing call.”
Visa facilitation was, Frasco said, a “decisive factor in capturing travelers from major markets such as China” according to comments made to PNA.
China had been the Philippines’ second largest source market pre-COVID with 1.7 million arrivals in 2019 but has since fallen to fifth behind South Korea, the USA, Japan and Australia.
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