The Philippine Department of Tourism (DoT) is increasing its marketing spend in Israel by 20 per cent as it aims for 20 per cent from the emerging market this year, tourism undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr disclosed.
Total arrivals from Israel to the Philippines topped 20,000 last year, representing a 15 per cent jump from 17,446 in 2017 and more than double that seen in 2014.
While the numbers are small, there are strong growth potentials, making Israel an opportunity market for the Philippines, Bengzon said.
“We see arrivals from Israel potentially growing by 20 per cent but this will require stepping up marketing and promotions,” Bengzon told TTG Asia. Efforts will include fam trips for travel agents and media and advertising through different platforms.
He said various Philippine destinations will also be promoted more actively for adventure travellers including Palawan and Sagada, the top destinations for Israeli travellers, as well as beaches and other parts of the country.
Bengzon also noted that the Philippines had a more active participation in the recent International Mediterranean Tourist Market (IMTM) held in Tel Aviv on February 6 and 7, with 22 delegates from 15 tourism-related companies.
To further boost the market, the travel trade of both Israel and the Philippines are clamouring for Philippine Airlines (PAL) to mount flights from Manila to Tel Aviv, although Bengzon clarified that “nothing is definite yet”.
It is understood that PAL is still studying the possibility of being the first carrier to connect Tel Aviv directly to Manila, given the increasing inbound and outbound tourist traffic between the two destinations and the growing number of overseas Filipino workers in Israel.
Historically, the nations enjoy a friendly relationship as the Philippines welcomed over 1,000 Jews during the holocaust. It was also the only Asian country that voted for the creation of the state of Israel in the 1947 United Nations General Assembly.
Millennium Hilton Bangkok has launched a battery electric limousine service, the result of a collaboration with Rizen Energy, the authorised importer and distributor of BYD electric vehicles in Thailand.
An initiative said to be the first of its kind, the collaborative project targets to reduce 15,000kg of carbon in 2019 by encouraging hotel guests to use BYD electric limousines as part of the riverfront hotel’s strong intention to reduce solve Bangkok’s critical pollution problem.
Heidi Kleine-Moeller, general manager of Millennium Hilton Bangkok, sees an “achievable” target for 2019. She said: “Considering that a combustion engine car emits approximately 200g per kilometre, we need to ensure that until the end of 2019 our e-limousine can service our guests no less than 88,000km or 1,200 round trips from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Millennium Hilton Bangkok and back.”
Against the backdrop of worsening air pollution in Bangkok, the opportunity to partner with BYD will offer a new environmentally-friendly mode of transport to hotel guests and clients, which “hopefully will reach other companies and the government soon as well to make a difference city and country wide”, Kleine-Moeller added.
According to Ronachai Chinwattanaporn, CEO of Rizen Energy, BYD e6, the first electric limousine in Thailand, has been in use worldwide for public transportation for more than eight years. It is proven to be reliable, safe and practical.
Two BYD e6 will be at service during the pilot period, and the fleet could be extended upon the demands for e-limo service, Ronachai revealed. A new model is expected to join the fleet by mid-2019, he added.