Revenge travel persists, PH visa applications up

MANILA  -The number of visa applications in the Philippines surged by 48 percent in 2023, driven by the demand to go to popular destinations such as Australia, Belgium, and Canada.

Visa services firm VFS Global said that the number of visa applications last year even surpassed prepandemic levels by 35 percent.

“This healthy rise in visa applications from the Philippines last year indicates that traveler’s confidence has been restored and people are ready to explore their favorite global destinations again,” said Kaushik Ghosh, VFS Global’s head for Australasia.

“We are confident that this positive travel momentum will sustain in 2024 as well,” he added.

READ: Revenge travel still gaining momentum

In the Philippines, VFS Global offers visa services for 29 countries.

These include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Finland, Italy, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.

According to VFS Global, popular destinations also included Denmark, Finland, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland. INQ