Preparing for more tourist arrivals

The Philippine government is determined to attract more foreign tourist visitors (despite recent dismal arrival numbers) by facilitating the issuance of electronic or e-visas, modernizing and improving the country's international gateway such as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA and offering a layover experience for travelers, as well as facilitating and attracting more medical tourists who would normally go to Thailand or South Korea.

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The New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), which has taken over the operations of NAIA has been upgrading the facilities of the premier gateway to the country for over a year now, slowly changing the past criticism that the NAIA was among the top worst airports in Asia. Just this week, NNIC officially launched new passenger facilities and systems at NAIA Terminal 3, including the biometric Immigration e-Gates, the All-Filipino Tambayan Food Hall, the Mezzanine Food Hall and a new Dignitaries Lounge, as part of the continuing upgrades being implemented across the airport.

A total of 78 biometric Immigration e-Gates are being deployed across NAIA under a phased rollout, with systems already operational at Terminals 1 and 3, where international flights operate. Delivered and funded by NNIC as part of its airport modernization program, the rollout allows new technology to be implemented more quickly at the country's main gateway.

The system enables eligible passengers to complete immigration clearance in about 20 seconds, helping ease congestion during peak travel periods. It uses biometric identity verification and document authentication to streamline processing while meeting the security requirements of border authorities.

Transit tours

Eligible travelers from visa-free countries with a minimum layover of eight hours will now be able to enjoy a safe, time-bound, curated glimpse of Metro Manila's iconic attractions through the Transit Tours that was launched by the Department of Tourism this week.

Last Tuesday, Dec. 16, President Marcos, together with First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos and Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, led the launch of the Transit Tours program and a Medical Tourism Concierge program, in a bid to modernize and enhance the country's tourism experience for visitors.