A private-government sector collaboration has launched the Visit Iloilo campaign, complete with branding and tactical offers, to position the province as a leading tourism destination for foreign and domestic travellers alike.
Iloilo Festivals Foundation (IFFI) president Allan Tan said that apart from presenting the destination in every imaginable discussion and platform possible, Iloilo will increase its presence in local trade fairs and international travel expos.
Soon to be launched across service partners are discounts and added service value systems, Tan added.
The campaign also draws support from Iloilo MICE Alliance, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Iloilo Chapter, Department of Tourism, local government units, and the province of Iloilo.
Megaworld Hotels and Resorts group general manager Art Boncato Jr said the website www.visitiloilo.ph is being jazzed up and a digital marketplace page will be added to highlight tourism suppliers and their offerings. The e-commerce platform will enable convenient service transactions between customers and businesses.
Visit Iloilo is envisioned to be a progressive campaign to last a long time as the province doubles down on expanding its tourism hardware including an international airport, ferry services linking it to other domestic destinations, a convention centre, more hotels, and more natural and cultural attractions, heritage sites and festivals.
Located in Western Visayas, Iloilo City was named UNESCO City of Gastronomy in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for 2023, recognising its heirloom dishes including pork dumpling soup called pancit molo; savoury noodle dish of batchoy made from innards, beef and pork strips sprinkled with pork crackling; native chicken delicacies, and more.
Singapore-based travel management company Silkway Travel Asia has been acquired by Japanese OTA Adventure, Inc. as part of the former’s regional expansion strategy, and will now function as a fully owned subsidiary of the latter.
The deal is mutually beneficial and will not affect Silkway Travel Asia’s operations in Singapore, including its name, management team, and product offerings, assured the company in a press statement.
The deal will allow Adventure, with an annual turnover of 20 billion yen (US$130.7 million), to leverage Silkway Travel Asia’s established presence and expertise in both Singapore and the region, and cater to the diverse travel preferences of Asian customers as part of the company’s strategic expansion into South-east Asia.
The integration of Silkway Travel Asia’s unique offerings into Adventure’s extensive portfolio ensures travellers will enjoy unparalleled access to tailored travel experiences.
Silkway Travel Asia will also gain access to Adventure’s air ticket reservation platform skyticket, which streamlines the booking process for customers by allowing them to search, book, and pay for flights through Google’s search engine, without needing to be redirected to other websites.
James Tang, director and co-founder of Silkway Travel Asia, said: “Silkway Travel Asia will continue to expand its portfolio of MNC and SME clientele, providing extensive and comprehensive corporate travel management products and services.”
Albert Hong, director and co-founder of Silkway Travel Asia, added: “We’re thrilled to embark on the next stage of our growth with Adventure. This acquisition signifies Adventure’s confidence in our offerings and long-term strategy in expanding our operations further in Singapore and South-east Asia region, as travel demand continues to grow post-Covid.”
Both Tang and Hong will continue to serve as directors of the company post-acquisition.
Describing Silkway Travel Asia as a “valuable addition to the Adventure family”, Shunichi Nakamura, CEO of Adventure, said both companies “share a common goal of creating impactful and sustainable travel experiences that resonate with the evolving desires of today’s modern travellers”.