THE Philippines’ partnership with Taiwan is expected to increase Filipino tourists in Taiwan next year, the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) said on Friday.
“I think this center will open the eyes of everyone and (allow) a mutual relationship between Taiwan and the Philippines,” Mariegel Tankiang Manotok, president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), told BusinessWorld in an interview at the launch of Taiwan Tourism Information Center (TTIC).
“I think there will be more tourists in both the Philippines and in Taiwan arrivals as well,” she added.
Last June, the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Bureau of Consular Affairs announced the extension of its trial visa-free entry for Philippine passport holders and other citizens of its “New Southbound Policy” including Thailand and Brunei.
“Since the visa-free (policy) has already been extended until July 2025, so that would definitely incur a lot of interest again with our Filipinos,” Ms. Manotok said.
In a statement, the Taiwan Tourism Administration (TTA) said it sees the Philippines as a “high potential market” for tourism.
The TTA logged over 378,000 Filipino tourists in Taiwan last October, surpassing the 350,000-mark last year. The tourism administration added that this number makes the Philippines a top contributor to Taiwan’s inbound tourism.
“The Philippine market is one of the most valued markets for the Taiwan Tourism Administration,” it said.
Taipei Economic and Culture Office in the Philippines Ambassador Wallace Chow said he expects more than 400,000 Filipino tourists by year-end and hopes for 500,000 next year.
To achieve this goal, TTA plans to execute exclusive promotional strategies in 2025 to attract more visitors from the Philippines.
These activities involve Taiwan tourism-themed advertisements on trains in Metro Manila, tourism promotional videos on television, influencer collaborations, and media partnerships.
TTA also mentioned group tour incentives and discounts, raffle campaigns, “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” airline ticket promotions, and free Pocket Wi-Fi rentals captured the interest of the Philippine market. — Almira Louise S. Martinez