Improvement on RP visa processing recommended

The Philippines and 20 other member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) should improve overall visa processing and facilitation, including pursuing e-visa programs, in a bid to facilitate person-to-person (PTP) tourism in the region and in Association of Southeast Asian Nations. This was one of the recommendations of the discussion paper released by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) obtained by The Daily Tribune titled "People-to-People Tourism in Apec: Facilitating Cross-border Entry and Exit, with Special Focus on Asean.” "Among the various types of tourists that will visit Apec and Asean countries, PTP tourists are expected to grow in number as a result of many factors, including greater economic integration of member countries,” it said. PTP is defined as the cross-border movement of people from one country to another on a repeated basis for educational, training or related capacity building; research and development cooperation; medical tourism; and responding to disaster or calamity, among others. The paper thus underscored the need to focus on PTP tourism as a first priority, as Apec is working towards aligning visa policies and regulations among its member countries. In the immediate and short term, it said Asean and Apec should improve overall visa processing and facilitation through implementing e-visa programs, improving the delivery of travel and visa information, and facilitating current processes, especially those still operating under face-to-face personal interviews. "This (e-visa program) is deemed the best opportunity for visa facilitation, especially for countries with very limited network of embassies and consulates,” the PIDS noted. The paper noted that there has been uneven adoption of new visa technologies such as e-visa and Smartgate in the region. To facilitate current processes, it identified key areas where improvement is needed, including more extensive use of information technology (official website, e-mail, social media), interconnectivity of entry and exit points and consideration of visas on arrival. The PIDS said it is imperative for Apec and Asean to focus on facilitating travel involving local border traffic.