President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) officials gather for the PSAC Tourism Meeting on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Malacañang Palace. Ryan Baldemor, PPA pool

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered authorities to improve the e-visa system for Indians to boost overall tourism in the country.

"We don’t have any such issues [with India]. So, I’m sure we can use their system," Marcos said during a meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council - Tourism Sector Group (PSAC-TSG) in Malacañang on Wednesday.

Indians are still required to make a personal appearance before the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi, which can reduce the efficiency of the Philippine e-visa system, said LT Group president and CEO Lucio Tan, who is also a member of the PSAC-TSG.

E-visa processing for Indian tourists could also take around a month, Tan said, making the Philippines unattractive as a tourist destination.

Tan recommended engaging a third-party service provider to streamline the e-visa process for Indian tourists and to generate more applications due to the faster system.

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The e-visa system for Indians is piloted only for walk-in clients of the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi.  

Indian tourists are "repeat visitors" who stay an average of 8 nights and spend $100 per person a day in the Philippines, according to the PSAC-TSG.

PSAC-TSG said 78 percent of Indians stay in hotels, and their activities include shopping, sightseeing, beach holidays, diving, visiting friends and relatives, and investing in business.

India’s growing economy and rising middle class are projected to help outbound trips reach 30 million by 2025, the group said.