According to news reports, the government of Philippines has decided to go ahead and implement a visa-upon-arrival scheme for Chinese tourists to attract more of them into the country. This is despite the fact that there are territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea, between the two countries.
This decision was formally announced by the president and chief executive officer of the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) who declared that the Chinese tourists would be able to receive their visas upon their arrival. He added that it was the first time that such a scheme was being put into operation in the country and that it was a pilot scheme.
He also stated that this visa would allow the visa holder to stay in the country for 14 days. He also told the reporters gathered at the 4th General Assembly Meeting of the Hotels and Restaurants Association of Pampanga held in Angeles City that there were about 100 million Chinese tourists and travelers who traveled overseas in the previous year and the proposed visa was an effort and an endeavour to attract some of them to visit Philippines.
Presently, the Clark International Airport (CIA) is being renovated and upgraded to make it an alternative to the main Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila and to decrease the rush of passengers at that other airport.
