Gov’t eyes ‘nomad’ visas

The Private Sector Advisory Council for Tourism (PSAC-Tourism) on Friday disclosed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. backed the proposal of issuing an executive order (EO) mandating the immediate introduction of “nomad visas” without tax incentives.

According to PSAC-Tourism, they recommended that the EO be issued and that it be “added once a related bill is passed” to attract long-stay foreign visitors.

“We need to issue nomad visas quickly to attract long-stay tourists. Other countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia are already benefiting from this approach,” LT Group vice chairperson and chief operating officer Lucio Tan III said.

As part of the government’s attempts to further expand the tourism industry, PSAC-Tourism also said that it plans to expedite industry-specific training programs “to equip individuals with the skills needed for immediate employment in tourism-related jobs.”

Meantime, Filinvest Development Corporation president and chief executive officer Joji Gotianun Yap pointed out that 80 percent of our tourism workforce holds Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) certifications.

“We should build on this by further increasing these certifications, with the private sector identifying the specific skills required,” Yap said.

Marcos, on the other hand, stressed the role of industry in shaping these training efforts and sought its guidance on the “exact skills needed” as he also highlighted the importance of short-term courses in allowing people to get jobs quickly.

The PSAC-Tourism, meanwhile, expressed optimism that these measures will establish the Philippines as a top travel destination, improve the caliber of the country’s tourism workers, and spur economic expansion.