Following the partnership between the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) and government solutions provider MyEG Philippines back in 2022, the Online Travel Tax Services System (OTTSS) has officially been green-lit to enable citizens to pay their travel taxes online.
With virtually 90,000 payment options available, the platform is designed to make the process of travel tax payments convenient and faster than before – taking up only a few seconds to accomplish.
MyEG’s payment partners include the country’s major e-wallets like GCash and Maya, lifestyle apps with bills payment features like Grab and Shopee, Visa and Mastercard transfers, or over-the-counter payment processing via 7-Eleven, Bayad Center, USSC, and the like.
“Today, we celebrate two milestones for TIEZA, first is the grand launching of our Online Travel Tax Services System or OTTSS, and second is the signing of Tourism Enterprise Zone (TEZ) partnership agreements with the city governments of Silay and Sta. Rosa and the signing of the certificates of registration and terms and conditions for the newly registered projects,” TIEZA chief operating officer Mark Lapid said in a statement.
While MyEG is at the helm of payment integrations, Lapid said that the OTTSS system was developed entirely by their in-house Management Information Systems and Travel Tax departments. He also added that the platform translates to savings in the millions by offsetting development and maintenance costs.
“The goal of the OTTSS is simple, to provide an easy and convenient way for everyone to pay their travel tax online, without the hassles of going through heavy traffic and long lines. In the near future, the OTTSS will become the central online hub for all travel tax services, including reduced payments, exemptions, and refunds,” he explained.
A recent study by ResearchAndMarkets shows that the global domestic tourism market is expected to reach $5,858 billion by 20230 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.0% from 2023 to 2030, attributed to the increase of disposable income and travel preferences across all age groups, as well as the establishment of new tourist sites and trends.
Acting as the Department of Tourism’s implementing arm for infrastructures and investments concerning tourism enterprise zones in the country, TIEZA anticipates an upcoming rise in outbound travels amid spiking inbound travel.
Lapid expressed hopes that by utilizing OTTSS, terminals will be decongested as a result of fewer over-the-counter transactions before flight boarding.
Meanwhile, the TEZ Partnership agreements signing involving the city governments of Sta. Rosa, Laguna and Silay, Negros Occidental is designed to foster a more conducive environment for tourism investments through enhanced ease of doing business and sustainable tourism development alongside private sector partners.
“MyEG’s mission has always been to work hand-in-hand with government institutions, from automating their processes, platforms and systems up to activating our more than 90,000 payment channels nationwide. We are honored to partner with TIEZA’s Online Travel Tax Services System in integrating and activating our payment services, thus providing a more hassle-free and convenient way for citizens to pay for their travel taxes online,” added MYEG PH’s chief executive officer Ann Margaret Saldaña.
To pay travel taxes online, users have the option to pick between visiting the MyEG website or going directly to TIEZA’s website at https://tieza.gov.ph and clicking on ‘Travel Tax’ in the dropdown navigation menu.
