If you’ve dreamed of living and working in one of the many paradisiacal destinations in the Philippines, now might be your chance to make that dream a reality.

The country is launching a new digital nomad visa, which will allow remote workers to stay for up to two years.

President Bongbong Marcos announced the upcoming programme at the end of April.

“To further boost tourism and economy in the country, there is a need to establish a legal framework to facilitate the entry of digital nomads in the country, or foreign nationals who desire to temporarily stay in the Philippines while engaging in remote work activities for overseas employers or clients,” he said.

The initiative aims to boost tourism and strengthen the Philippine economy.

Here’s everything we know about the Philippines’ digital nomad visa so far.

Following the signing of the executive order by the president, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is now able to issue digital nomad visas.

These are available to qualifying non-immigrant foreigners for an initial period of one year, with the option to renew for a second year.

To qualify for the visa, applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Demonstrate that they work remotely using digital technology
• Show proof of sufficient income earned outside the Philippines
• Have a clean criminal record
• Hold valid health insurance throughout their stay

Additionally, applicants cannot be employed within the Philippines and must not pose any security threat to the nation.

Digital nomads can find ‘unparalleled beauty’ in the Philippines

With 7,600 islands fringed with pristine beaches, energetic cities like Manila, and renowned surf spots like Siargao, the country offers plenty of attractive options for remote workers.

“With our unparalleled natural beauty, vibrant culture, and the warmth of the Filipino people, the Philippines stands ready to welcome digital nomads to travel, work, and thrive across our islands,” Philippine tourism secretary Christina Frasco told the Philippines News Agency.

While applications aren’t yet open, the programme is expected to launch in the coming months.

The Philippines joins other popular destinations like South Korea, Italy, Japan, and Thailand in offering specialised visas for digital nomads.

Expedia Group said Friday that reduced travel demand in the United States led to its weaker-than-expected revenue in the first quarter, and Bank of America said credit card transactions showed spending on flights and lodging kept falling last month.

The two reports add to growing indications that the US travel and tourism industry may see its first slowdown since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic fuelled a period of “revenge travel” that turned into sustained interest in getting away.

Expedia, which owns accommodation reservation platforms Hotels.com and VRBO as well as an eponymous online travel agency, was the latest American company to report slowing business with both international visitors and domestic travellers.

Airbnb and Hilton noted the same trends last week in their quarterly earnings reports. Most major US airlines have said they plan to reduce scheduled flights, citing a decline in economy passengers booking leisure trips.

The US Travel Association has said that economic uncertainty and anxiety over President Donald Trump’s tariffs may explain the pullback. In April, Americans’ confidence in the economy slumped for a fifth straight month to the lowest level since the onset of the pandemic.

People are less willing to spend on holidays, especially to the US

Bank of America said Friday that its credit card holders were willing to spend on “nice to have” services like eating at restaurants in March and April, but “bigger ticket discretionary outlays on airfare and lodging continued to decline, possibly due to declining consumer confidence and worries about the economic outlook.”

Abroad, anger about the tariffs as well as concern about tourist detentions at the border have made citizens of some other countries less interested in travelling to the US, tourism industry experts say.

The US government said last month that 7.1 million visitors entered the US from overseas this year as of the end of March, 3.3 per cent fewer than during the first three months of 2024.

The numbers did not include land crossings from Mexico or travel from Canada, where citizens have expressed indignation over Trump’s remarks about making their country the 51st state.

Both US and Canadian government data have shown steep declines in border crossings from Canada.

Expedia Chief Financial Officer Scott Schenkel said that while the net value of the travel company’s bookings into the US fell 7 per cent in the January-March period, bookings to the US from Canada were down nearly 30 per cent.

In a conference call with investors on Friday, Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin said demand for US travel was lower in April than in March.

“We’re still continuing to see pressure on travel into the US, but we’ve also seen some rebalancing,” Gorin said. “Europeans are travelling less to the US, but more to Latin America.”

There is declining interest in the US as a destination

Airbnb said last week that foreign travel to the US makes up only 2 to 3 per cent of its business. But within that category, it’s seeing declining interest in the US as a destination.

“I think Canada is the most obvious example, where we see Canadians are travelling at a much lower rate to the US but they’re travelling more domestically, they are traveling to Mexico, they are going to Brazil, they’re going to France, they’re going to Japan,” Airbnb Chief Financial Officer Ellie Mertz said in a conference call with investors.

Hilton President and CEO Christopher Nassetta said the company saw international travel to its US hotels fall throughout the first quarter, particularly from Canada and Mexico.

But Nassetta said he remained optimistic for the second half of this year.

“My own belief is you will see some of — if not a lot of — that uncertainty wane over the next couple of quarters, and that will allow the underlying strength of the economy to shine through again,” he said.

The ever-sensational Eurovision song contest is taking place in Basel this year, with performers primed to dazzle audiences at the St. Jakobshalle arena next week.

The Swiss city will host the 69th edition of the competition, taking place between 13 and 17 May, where 37 countries will battle it out to be the best act.

Fans of the high-octane contest are now flocking to Basel and, if you are thinking of joining the musical extravaganza, accommodation is still available.

But be warned, prices are as eye-watering as many of the performances.

Basel braces for tens of thousands of Eurovision enthusiasts

Basel is anticipating that as many as 50,000 fans will descend on the city in the coming days as Eurovision excitement reaches fever pitch.

According to the song contest organisers, visitors from 80 countries around the globe will be in the audience for the live event.

Swiss fans have bought the most tickets as the competition returns to their country for the first time since 1989.

Germany has purchased the second-highest number of tickets, with fans from the UK, France and Spain rounding out the top five.

Basel accommodation prices soar for Eurovision

Accommodation prices in Basel are reportedly sky-high for the week during which the competition will unfold.

Sports news site Wettfreunde.net has analysed over 1,000 accommodation listings in the city on Booking and Airbnb.

The company compared the average prices of six-night stays for two people from 12 to 18 May (from a day before to a day after the contest) to the period in the weeks before and after Eurovision (5-11 May and 19-25 May)

For the week of the competition, accommodation on Booking costs on average €6,024, which is 139 per cent more than the week before Eurovision and 137 per cent more than the week after.

On Airbnb, a six-night stay between 12 and 18 May will set you back an average of €1,804, 130 per cent more than the week before the contest and 164 per cent more than the week after.

The most expensive option on Booking during Eurovision is a studio eight kilometres from St. Jakobshalle for a staggering €21,906.

Even so, that pales in comparison with the most expensive option on Airbnb: a loft 2.5 kilometres from the arena for €67,369 for the six days.

If that’s out of your budget, the cheapest option on Booking is a double room in a capsule hotel two kilometres from St. Jakobshalle for €1,178, while Airbnb’s cheapest offer is an apartment 30 kilometres from the arena for €252.