Visa-free entry boosts travel to Philippines; online searches from India jump 28%; surge led by couples, first-time travelers
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NEW DELHI: Travel searches for the Philippines have surged among Indian tourists after the country announced visa-free entry for Indian passport holders, allowing stays of up to 14 days.
According to visa processing platform Atlys, searches from India for travel to the Philippines jumped 28% after the update.
Before the announcement, the country ranked eighth among the most searched Southeast Asian destinations by Indian travellers on Atlys. It has now jumped to third place, just behind Thailand and Indonesia.
According to travel platform Atlys, searches for the Philippines jumped 28% soon after the announcement, and a sustained 20–30% increase in demand is expected over the coming months.
"After the announcement, it swiftly climbed to third place, trailing only Thailand and Indonesia. The sudden repositioning underscores the significant impact visa accessibility can have on destination interest, particularly within India's fast-growing outbound travel market," Atlys said in a statement on Tuesday.
Data from Atlys shows that the surge is mainly driven by couples and honeymooners, who account for 42% of all recent Philippines-related searches.
Solo travellers make up 27%, primarily from metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru. Families represent another 21%, with many planning multi-stop itineraries that combine beach destinations like Palawan and Cebu with the city attractions of Manila, reported PTI.
The policy change has also opened doors for first-time international travellers, who are increasingly seeing the Philippines as a viable and attractive destination without the hassle of visa applications.
The Philippines officially joined a growing list of countries offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to Indian tourists on Sunday. Others in this group include Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka (free e-visa), Seychelles, Indonesia (visa on arrival), Maldives, Nepal, and Hong Kong (with online pre-clearance), according to Anil Kalsi, Vice President of the Travel Agents Federation of India.
"Indian nationals may enter the Philippines without a visa for a non-extendible and non-convertible period of 14 days for tourism purposes, upon presenting a passport valid for at least six months beyond the contemplated stay, confirmed hotel accommodation/ booking, proof of financial capacity, and return or onward ticket to the next country of destination," the website of the Philippines embassy in New Delhi said.
"Indian nationals holding valid and current American, Japanese, Australian, Canadian, Schengen, Singapore or United Kingdom (AJACSSUK) visas or residence permits may enter the Philippines without a visa for a non-extendible period of 30 days for tourism, upon presenting a passport valid for at least six months beyond the contemplated stay, and return or onward ticket to the next country of destination," it added.
Adding to the momentum, Air India will launch direct flights between Delhi and Manila starting October 1, 2025, improving travel access.
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