Manila, May 18 -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) has expressed strong support for the creation of a unified ASEAN visa, saying it could help position the region as a single, powerhouse tourism destination.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco made the statement during the SKIFT Asia Forum 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand last Thursday, where she served as one of the key speakers.

The proposal, inspired by the European Schengen visa and the Gulf Cooperation Council's joint visa, is gaining traction among member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"The ASEAN tagline is 'A destination for every dream.' And the ASEAN visa certainly is part of that dream," Frasco said, as quoted in a DOT news release Sunday.

"To b...