TAIPEI - Taiwan is seeking an extension of visa-free entry for its nationals travelling to the Philippines, citing strong growth in tourism and expanding people-to-people exchanges since the policy was introduced.

Taiwanese Deputy Representative to the Philippines Yang Teng-shih said reciprocal visa-free travel arrangements had generated clear benefits for the tourism industries of both sides, as reported by Taiwan News.

The Philippines began offering Taiwanese travellers 14-day visa-free entry on July 1 last year, and the measure is scheduled to expire at the end of June.

Meanwhile, Taiwan has granted Filipino nationals 14-day visa-free entry since November 2017 and currently remains in effect until July 3.

Yang said visitor flows between the two sides had increased significantly following the implementation of reciprocal travel facilitation measures.

Nearly 630,000 Filipino visitors travelled to Taiwan last year, representing a 35 per cent increase compared with 2024.

Arrivals during the first quarter of this year exceeded 210,000, marking a 43 per cent year-on-year increase.

On the Taiwanese side, outbound travel to the Philippines has also recorded steady growth.

Yang said Taiwanese arrivals in the Philippines increased by 79 per cent year-on-year in February.

First-quarter growth reached 13.6 per cent.

Data from the Philippine Bureau of Immigration showed that Taiwanese arrivals reached 213,928 last year.

The figure represented an increase of 6.32 per cent compared with the previous year.

Yang expressed confidence that visitor numbers could exceed 300,000 this year if the visa-free arrangement is extended.

He urged Manila to continue the policy, saying it would support tourism operators while strengthening economic and social ties.

Yang also noted that Taiwanese tourists and investors had long contributed positively to bilateral cooperation.

He added that a longer-term or permanent visa-free arrangement could further deepen relations.

Philippine Department of Tourism Office of Market Development Director Zeny Pallugna also voiced support for extending the policy.

She said the measure had strengthened cooperation and connectivity between Taiwan and the Philippines.

Taiwan and the Philippines have expanded tourism and economic engagement in recent years despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations.

Both sides maintain representative offices and cooperate in areas including trade, investment, labour migration and tourism.

The Philippines hosts a sizable Taiwanese business community, while Taiwan is home to a large number of Filipino migrant workers employed in manufacturing, caregiving and other sectors.

Tourism exchanges have also grown steadily with the introduction of visa facilitation measures.

Visa-free arrangements are increasingly used by governments to promote tourism recovery, stimulate economic activity and strengthen people-to-people links following the Covid-19 pandemic.