Philippines’ nationwide POGO ban should help with easing visa restrictions for China tourists, said Tourism and Leisure Director Alfred Lay of Leechiu Hotels.
According to Manila news reports, the analyst said China “remains an important market that the Philippines must strive to recapture in the long run” during the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) general membership meeting in Manila.
“They also have stricter currency outgoing capital flows and that’s not only related to the Philippines but also to our neighbouring countries,” Lay added.
“But the more we can remove the barriers, the ease of travel to the Philippines will improve and that’s the overall aim,” he concluded.
Lay believes the stricter visa rules on Chinese nationals were made mostly due to concerns that they would use the tourist visa to enter the Philippines and join the POGO market
Earlier, the Department of Tourism (DOT) disclosed that it would “recalibrate” efforts to boost visitors from other markets, including South Korea, the United States and Japan as ‘real’ Chinese tourists gradually return.
Lay agreed that the "recalibration" is a good move, suggesting that the Philippines look at fast-growing source markets such as the Middle East, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and India.
“In the long-term, China has to be a significant part of our tourism picture,” he said.
The Philippines Government maintained its strict enforcement regarding the POGO ban. Shortly after the ban, 33 Chinese nationals were deported back to China for involvement in illegal POGO activities.
