MORE European tour operators are putting the Philippines in their brochures this season.
Kuoni UK is featuring the Philippines for the first time in its brochure out this November. Alexander Stutely, CEO of Blue Horizons Travel & Tours that won the account, said the UK operator will focus mainly on midscale to high-end beach resorts in Palawan, Boracay and Bohol, as well as northern Philippine roundtrips.
Stutely said: “With Kuoni UK selling the Philippines, more big UK players might feature the country. Right now, UK business comes mainly from smaller boutique-style operators.”
Blue Horizons is also the groundhandler for Transorient Touristik’s first ever programme on the Philippines. The Hamburg-based operator devoted 12 to 15 pages on the Philippines in its brochure that came out last November. Boracay resorts are the star attractions, though some properties in Bohol, Cebu and Palawan also made the cut.
Stutely expects Transorient’s production to reach half of Meier’s Weltreisen’s – Blue Horizon’s and the Philippines’ biggest producer for Germany – in the next two to three years.
Meanwhile, Marsman Drysdale Travel has convinced Paradise Reisen to run group series to the Philippines for the first time. Paradise was to start its programme last year but cancelled due to the European Union ban on Philippine carriers. Director of tourism services Pedro Young is expecting Paradise’s first group for the Manila-Banaue-Bohol programme this October.
By Ollie Quiniquini
