Be Pinoy — will travel

Yesterday marked the opening of the 20th Travel Tour Expo 2013 organized by the PTAA (Phil. Travel Agencies Association) at the SMX Convention Center which runs till the 17th of February, so don’t worry, you have enough time to catch this 3-day expo.

Travel-mad Pinoys will surely crowd the five halls of the convention center and queue at the 554 (!) booths at the expo, up from 477 booths last year. That is how travel-mad our people are, not to mention how much of a bargain-hunter we are. At last year’s expo, some 60,000 people flocked to SMX; this year they expect a crowd of 100,000, not only because there are even more booths and exhibitors but because the organizers took pains and effort to add more value to the travelling public’s purchases.

The organizers have come up with a booklet, a compilation of discount and freebies coupons from the exhibitors at the expo. For every purchase of P5,000.00 worth from the more than 250 exhibitors at the expo, this booklet can be had, though I think it is only for the first day of the event. I’m not certain if they will extend this to the other days. For some hotels, this could mean an upgrade to a suite, or an additional night free of charge at their hotel. I understand from PTAA president John Paul Cabalza that there are exhibitors who have informed him that they are offering trips to Bangkok for as low as $55 for three days/two nights. Some resorts like the Boracay Regency, Boracay Garden, Le Soleil, Lagoon, and Royal Park Resort, all of which are in Boracay, are offering a 40 percent discount. The Friday Nights Beach Resort, also in Boracay, is offering the third night for free if you book for at least two nights.  The Legend in Palawan is offering a special package of P6,500.00 which already includes a trip to the underground caves and a Honda Bay tour. Asia Miles, also one of the event sponsors, is raffling off 92,000 miles every day during the raffle.  This is equivalent, according to PTAA Media Committee Chair Nit Ragaza, to one premium economy round trip ticket to the US West Coast or anywhere in Europe where Cathay Pacific flies. 2013 Travel Tour Expo Chair Aileen Clemente says right now, these are really the best deals that one can get for the peak season.

If you have been to one of these expos, you will not fail to notice the long, terribly long queues, especially at the big Philippine Air Lines booth (which incidentally is one of the major sponsors of the event). A friend whom we saw patiently lining up for tickets at the PAL booth said later on that after lining up for hours, she got cut-off and had to go back early the next day to get a booking. And to think that was only for local travel. I saw the line and it snaked through almost half of the pavilion last year. Anyway, PTAA president JP Cabalza says that with their organization’s latest project off the ground which involves the full computerization of their on-line booking services, there is no longer a need to suffer the long queues. All PTAA members have been hooked up to the upgraded system and all one has to do is approach any of their members for such bookings.  This on-line service is 24/7, and they have up-to-the-minute information on available airline seats and I guess hotel/resorts bookings as well.

Before the expo opened, the organizers held a press conference where Undersecretary Bong Bengzon of the Department of Tourism was one of the panelists.  He shared that for 2012, domestic tourists exceeded 30 million, which just goes to show that more Filipinos are now appreciative and proud of what the country has to offer. In fact, the revenue for domestic tourism is eight times more than what the country got from foreign tourists. Still, the DOT is working feverishly to increase the foreign influx. Per 2011 records, revenue from foreign tourists was P100 billion ($2.5 billion) while domestic tourism was at P800 billion. The target remains at 5.5 million foreign tourists this year, and with 23 national tourism organizations participating at this year’s travel expo, it could only mean more visitors coming to the Philippines.

Indeed, more foreign tours have started to pour in.  25 percent of the inbound tourists came mainly from South Korea, Japan, the United States and China. Taiwan and Malaysia has also started to figure in, and it is the first time that Malaysia has gotten into the top ten list of visitors of the DOT.

 Cebu, Boracay which only last October welcomed its 1 millionth visitor, Palawan and Bohol have always topped the list of local destinations, but the expo is also exploring the emerging destinations: The Cagayan Economic Zone where there are now seventeen hotels and resorts already operating and Baler in Quezon which has over 15 resorts now, among others. In Cagayan, specifically in Palawi Island which is merely 10 minutes away, they have eco tours and water sports facilities. They have beefed up their accommodation facilities so that they can now host big conventions, and there is a possibility that a new airport will soon rise in Tuguegarao.  Incidentally, Tuguegarao is one of the few local airports certified for night operations by the DOT. Too, there are now de luxe buses going to and from Tuguegarao which is 11-12 hours travel by land and 2:45 hours by plane.

 In the expo too are other attractions: the Japanese Embassy is bringing in Hello Kitty and will feature all the prefectures of Japan; Solare which is another major sponsor of the event is set to present some extravaganza numbers; Resorts World will present excerpts from the very popular stage presentation The King and I. I saw this at Resorts with my wife and it was truly a good one.

This is a bit off-tangent but still travel-related: the Passenger Bill of Rights takes effect this month of February. Not many know it but the government actually allows airlines to overbook by as much as 20 percent, but it is up to the airline to carefully manage this. If you have been bumped off due to over-booking, you may file for claims from the airline. For delays not caused by weather or airport problems but which are attributable to the airline, the passenger’s rights are protected under this bill.

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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