President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered a study to determine how the government can provide seamless e-visa transaction for Indian nationals.
Faster e-visa processing for Indian nationals would help boost tourism in the country, the President said during the 6th meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) Tourism Sector Group at the Malacañan Palace on Wednesday.
“We don’t have any such issues [with India]. So, I’m sure we can use their system,” President Marcos said.
Under the current e-Visa system, Indian nationals are still required to make a personal appearance before the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi, reducing the efficiency of the Philippine e-Visa system, said Lucio Tan, LT Group president and CEO.
Tan, a member of the PSAC- TSG, said e-visa processing for Indian tourists can take around a month, making the Philippines less appealing as their destination.
“In view of that, we recommend engaging in third party service provider that will establish, run and maintain the e-Visa system under the guidance of the relevant government agencies,” Tan told President Marcos during the meeting.
“This will ensure that the program is consistently monitored and that any challenges in the process and the system will be immediately [addressed]. This will likewise streamline the application process and thus generate more applications due to the expedite process,” he added.
Currently, the e-Visa system for Indian nationals is still in beta testing, piloted only for walk-in clients of the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi.
The PSAC Tourism Sector Group emphasized the need to improve the e-Visa system for Indian nationals as they help boost the country’s tourism industry. They are “repeat visitors” who spend an average of eight nights and spend $100 per person per day in the Philippines, the group explained.
It added that 78 percent of Indian nationals stay in hotels. Their activities include shopping, sightseeing, beach holidays, diving, visiting friends and relatives, and investing in business, PSAC said.
The group said India’s fast-growing economy and rising middle class are projected to help outbound trips reach 30 million by 2025. PND
