A LEGISLATOR on Tuesday proposed the abolition of the travel tax on Filipinos and nationals of ASEAN states leaving the country to boost tourism and promote fair and affordable trips within the Southeast Asia region.
Exempting certain sectors from paying this tax is unfair to other travelers and makes the Philippines less competitive in the booming $59 billion tourism market of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), especially when most of the members in this regional bloc have already removed similar levies, Parañaque Second District Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan explained.
“Why make exemptions when everyone can benefit, which is why we are proposing through House Bill 4793 that the government abolish the travel tax altogether for Filipinos and other ASEAN nationals leaving the country and visiting other ASEAN member-states,” Yamsuan said.
He quoted an official of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Authority as saying that the agency is eyeing the exemption of “certified” travel bloggers from paying the travel tax.
