Philippines mulls visa-on-arrival for Chinese tourists as Boracay reopens

The country has set a 10.8pc growth target for foreign visitors next year, and is considering visa-on-arrival services for Chinese nationals. Galaxy’s plan to build a resort-casino, however, is ‘not going to happen’

Reading Time:4 minutes

Residents walk along a beach on the Philippine island of Boracay after a six-month clean up aimed at repairing the damage inflicted by years of unrestrained mass tourism. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:09pm, 26 Oct 2018Updated: 10:17pm, 26 Oct 2018

The Philippines is considering halving the time for Chinese tourists to get visas to five days, as it set a 10.8 per cent growth target for foreign visitors next year following the reopening of Boracay after a massive six-month clean-up.

But even as the island banks on tourism, tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat made it clear Macau-based Galaxy Entertainment Group would not be allowed to build a casino on the island to woo visitors.

“No casino in Boracay. It’s not going to happen. It’s the final decision of the President [Rodrigo Duterte]. During his term, no gambling and casinos in Boracay. You can tell [casino operator Galaxy Entertainment Group] that I said so,” she said in an interview with the South China Morning Post on Friday.

On Galaxy’s planned resort-casino, Romulo-Puyat said she talked to Duterte two days ago about the Department of Justice’s advice to issue an executive order banning casinos on Boracay. She said she believed the president would do so.

Galaxy founder and chairman Lui Che-woo had met with Duterte earlier this year to discuss the casino.

The company previously said it would work with its local partner Leisure & Resorts World Corporation to communicate its vision and commitment to the president and the relevant authorities.

Tourists arrive at the Philippine island of Boracay following its reopening. Photo: AFP