ASEAN - India relations 'most consequential' ties in the region — Frasco

MANDAUE CITY — Tourism Secretary Cristina Frasco on Friday defined relations between ASEAN and India as the “most consequential” people-to-people ties in the region. 

“Our cooperation is part of a broader effort to strengthen connectivity, deepen economic linkages, and ensure that tourism growth remains expansive across the ASEAN,” Frasco said during the 13th meeting of the ASEAN-India Tourism Ministers. 

She said the relations between the two parties were not just sustained by geography but by steady movement of travelers, families, students, and entrepreneurs. 

Frasco further said that for ASEAN, tourism engagements with India supports enterprise growth and reinforces confidence in the region’s destinations. 

Last year, the Philippines granted visa-free entry to Indian tourists.

Indian tourists were allowed to stay in the country, visa-free, for a period of 14 days. 

The visa-free arrangement was aimed at boosting tourism arrivals from India, which rose 12% in 2024 to nearly 80,000, according to data from the Department of Tourism. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News