The Philippines and India have formalized a new tourism cooperation agreement aimed at increasing Indian tourist arrivals to the Philippines and strengthening bilateral tourism ties.

The signed Implementation Program on Tourism Cooperation for 2025 to 2028 was ceremonially exchanged on Tuesday (Aug. 5), during the state visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to India.

The signing was witnessed by President Marcos, Jr. and Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and India’s Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles Shri Pabitra Margherita led the exchange of documents on behalf of their respective governments.

“India and the Philippines share a centuries-old friendship built on cultural understanding, warmth, and respect,” Frasco said in a news release on Thursday.

“This Implementation Program reaffirms our commitment to unlocking the full potential of our tourism linkages—from policy exchange and capacity building to investment promotion and cultural tourism,” she added.

The program outlines several joint initiatives aimed at promoting tourism growth, including mutual efforts in marketing, training, tourism management, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

It also includes cooperation in wellness tourism, cruise tourism, adventure travel, education, and sustainable tourism practices.

In a joint press statement with Modi, Marcos said the agreement reflects the historic and growing relationship between the two countries.

“In this respect, I reiterated our introduction of visa-free country entry privileges and extended our invitation for more Indian tourists to visit the Philippines,” Marcos said.

“I thank Prime Minister Modi in turn for the introduction of a scheme to grant visa free-of-charge to Filipino tourists traveling to India,” he added.

He also confirmed the resumption of direct flights between Delhi and Manila starting October 2025.

Modi welcomed the new visa policies and said India will offer free e-visas to travelers from the Philippines.

He said that efforts will be made to launch direct flights within the year to improve connectivity.

According to the DOT, Indian tourist arrivals to the Philippines reached 51,116 from January to July 2025.

With the implementation of visa waivers and the return of direct air services, Philippine tourism officials expect steady growth in Indian arrivals over the next few years.

The Implementation Program will be monitored by a Joint Working Group composed of tourism officials from both countries.

The group will track the progress of the agreement under the framework of the memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation signed in Manila in 2019. (PNA)