The Philippine trade is sanguine that the recovering inbound China tourist numbers will compensate for the slowdown in other key markets such as South Korea and Japan in the wake of recent security-related incidents in Mindanao and Resorts World Manila.
Speaking to TTG Asia at the recent Asia Premium Travel Mart, Mary Ann Ong, general manager of China inbound specialist Luxus Pacific Travel and Tours, said she expects the Chinese to start returning this month after some initial cancellations.
Bohol is becoming a top pick among Chinese travellers; Chocolate Hills pictured
“It’s easy to recover due to China’s proximity to the Philippines. Group tours were less affected than government, non-profits and IT trips,” she explained.
Ong said that her company is currently tapping on the upmarket Chinese segment and developing new destinations such as Clark and Subic.
While the Chinese-owned Golden Phoenix Hotel Manila did not receive cancellations, senior sales manager Mads Rono expects numbers from China to improve as the company’s head office in Beijing is currently promoting the Philippines and working closely with Philippine travel agencies. Previously, the company only relied on Ctrip for B2B bookings.
Meanwhile, Bohol, a growing favourite among the Chinese, has not been affected much as the local government handled the recent Abu Sayyaf incident very well, said Jenny Pearl Maleza, sales manager, Eskaya Beach Resort & Spa in Bohol.
