Eye on Chinese arrivals

Infrastructure deficiency

The Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times said traveling to the Philippines is "more hassle than fun". The newspaper said airport congestion and unreliable transport make travel "less fun", while connectivity issues hinder longer stays for digital nomads.

Peng said the gap is exposed by structural deficiencies in the country's infrastructure. In several popular destinations, the only convenient way to get around is by weaving through traffic on a motorcycle. Ride-hailing services are inconsistent.

"The roads are often in poor condition, motorcycles weave through traffic everywhere," Peng said. "It creates a strong sense of disappointment for tourists."

While the visa-free policy has sparked an immediate spike in interest, this short-term boom has left some visitors with mixed feelings.

Zhao Shuo, 22-year-old from Beijing, who plans to travel to Bohol during the Chinese New Year to finish his diving certification, finds himself in a dilemma. While the absence of paperwork was a welcome relief, the market's reaction caught him off guard.

Zhao is willing to pay a premium for a holiday, but he said that soaring costs — without a corresponding rise in service quality — directly erode travel satisfaction.

"When I booked, a round-trip ticket was 2,000 yuan ($280). After the visa-free news, it jumped to 4,000 or 5,000 yuan," Zhao said. "Hotels there of a similar standard to what you'd find in China are now priced at two or three times the rate."