Mactan-Cebu International Airport Eyes Direct Connectivity to India

Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) explores direct connectivity between Cebu, Philippines and New Delhi, India after the recently concluded country mission to India led by GMR MEGAWIDE Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC), in partnership with the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), and local carriers Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines.

“Today, the recovery of traffic from major markets in North Asia is protracted and unlikely to return at the same pre-pandemic growth pace in the near term. We believe that we need to look to other markets that can deliver new and emerging demand and we believe that India offers the opportunity of such an emerging market,” said Andrew Acquaah-Harrison, GMCAC Chief Executive Adviser.

The Filipino delegation met with the largest Online Travel Agents who all spent a considerable amount of time stressing that without either Visa on Arrival or online e-Visa applications for Indian tourists to Philippines, demand will be challenging to achieve. The delegation gave examples of countries like Thailand, Indonesia, and recently Vietnam, on how the introduction of Visa on Arrival or e-Visa provided ease of access into these countries. Vietnam, which was previously not a tourism destination for Indians, has now become the most desired destination for Indian tourists because of the beauty of the destination and most importantly a radical change in visa policy that made it easy for tourists to enter.

With more information and clearer direction, the group is ready to take the next steps and work with the relevant government agencies to unlock the full potential of the Cebu – New Delhi connectivity.

The Philippines would prove a highly aspirational tourism destination for the people from India given many cultural similarities between Filipinos and Indians and with English being widely spoken in both countries. Outbound tourism opportunities for Filipinos travelling to India is also expected to flourish.