The Department of Tourism (DOT) is advocating for an ASEAN-wide visa to allow seamless travel across Southeast Asia.
At the SKIFT Asia Forum 2025 held in Bangkok on May 15, Tourism secretary Christina Garcia Frasco underscored the potential of a unified ASEAN visa, likening it to the Schengen visa in Europe and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) visa in the Middle East.
“The ASEAN tagline is ‘a destination for every dream’—and an ASEAN visa is certainly part of that dream. It will allow us to promote the region as a single destination, highlighting the strength of our natural assets, the warmth of our people, and the quality of our cultural experiences,” Frasco said.
She expressed optimism that the initiative would gain further traction when the Philippines hosts the ASEAN Summit in 2026.
Meanwhile, Frasco said ASEAN countries can balance healthy competition with deeper collaboration.
“Competition is very healthy, but collaboration is even more powerful. When ASEAN works as one, it creates a force for good that benefits all our nations,” she said.
Frasco cited the Philippines’ partnership with Thailand, particularly the “Two Countries, One Destination” program, as a strong example of intra-ASEAN cooperation.
The agreement promotes joint tourism packages and knowledge-sharing to enhance each country’s tourism offerings.
Frasco also addressed the decline in Chinese arrivals, noting that the DOT has actively diversified its tourism markets.
“We’ve expanded our efforts toward the Middle East, India, South Korea, Japan, the US, and Europe,” she said, reporting growth rates of 500 to 800 percent in tourist arrivals from the Middle East and GCC.
She highlighted the DOT’s efforts to enhance the country’s appeal as a Muslim-friendly destination, while also noting continued growth in tourist arrivals from Australia and South Korea, two of the Philippines’ top markets, driven by improved connectivity and rising interest in niche tourism segments.
