Philippine trade joins forces to beat cancellations

To make up for recent booking cancellations owing to safety and security concerns, a newly formed private sector-led working committee in the Philippines is firming up a programme of fresh and viable tour products.

Cesar Cruz, president of the Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa), which is part of the committee, said the plan is for all Philippine sellers to promote the same packages for bookings between 4Q2017 and end-2018.

Banaue rice terraces

Key criteria influencing the choice of destinations include safety, accessibility, tourism infrastructure and sought-after tour products, including the stretch beginning from Ilocos to Cordillera and upland to Banaue and Sagada; Bicol; Pampanga; Batangas and Quezon, among others in Luzon and destinations in central Visayas.

Destinations included in ongoing travel advisories – Palawan, Cebu, Bohol and Boracay – will also feature in some packages.

Cruz told TTG Asia that the working committee will meet this month and have the mechanics ready by August for submission to the Department of Tourism and its marketing arm the Tourism Promotions Board, which will then help with in-market advertising through their overseas offices.

The packages will also be sold to global buyers during the Philippine Tourism Exchange in September.

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