NATIONAL
Advocates Philippines
Chinese Group Tour Travel to PH Resumes After Three Years
Photo credit: DFA
Chinese group tour travel to the Philippines has finally resumed after three years.
The first group visa for a Chinese package tour group was issued at the Consulate General in Shanghai on April 14.
The group of Chinese tourists will be heading to a beach destination in the country later this month.
This comes after China relaxed three years of COVID-19-related travel restrictions last January 8, and further resumed outbound group tours on February 6.
Philippine consular offices across China have opened their doors to Tour Group visa applications since April 10, with a quick three-working day turnaround time.
The first application in Shanghai was filed on April 11, after which Consul General Josel F. Ignacio, Consul John Francis S. Herrera, and DOT Shanghai Administrative Officer Warren S. Palacio witnessed the release of the visa to the travel agency representative.
Consul General Ignacio expressed his full support for the Philippines' tourism goals in the Chinese market, which according to him has been a significant driver of inbound arrivals prior to the pandemic.
Only travel agencies duly accredited with the Consulate General may submit Tour Group Visa applications.
These agencies must be accredited by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), must have a subsisting Cooperation Agreement with a Department of Tourism-accredited Philippine tour operator, and must be endorsed both by the DOT and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The first group visa for a Chinese package tour group was issued at the Consulate General in Shanghai on April 14.
The group of Chinese tourists will be heading to a beach destination in the country later this month.
This comes after China relaxed three years of COVID-19-related travel restrictions last January 8, and further resumed outbound group tours on February 6.
Philippine consular offices across China have opened their doors to Tour Group visa applications since April 10, with a quick three-working day turnaround time.
The first application in Shanghai was filed on April 11, after which Consul General Josel F. Ignacio, Consul John Francis S. Herrera, and DOT Shanghai Administrative Officer Warren S. Palacio witnessed the release of the visa to the travel agency representative.
Consul General Ignacio expressed his full support for the Philippines' tourism goals in the Chinese market, which according to him has been a significant driver of inbound arrivals prior to the pandemic.
Only travel agencies duly accredited with the Consulate General may submit Tour Group Visa applications.
These agencies must be accredited by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), must have a subsisting Cooperation Agreement with a Department of Tourism-accredited Philippine tour operator, and must be endorsed both by the DOT and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Apr 17, 2023
