Lifestyle card finds market in the rising tourist arrivals

CEBU, Philippines – As tourists continue to flock the Philippines despite the slowdown in the global market, a Filipino company noted a huge potential in creating a first-of-a-kind high-end lifestyle card that aims to provide value added perks to the consumer market.

In an interview with Happy Potato Company director Shanna T. Lopez, she said that Enjoy the Best of the Philippines is a premiere VIP privilege card that aims to market their various merchant partners nationwide while providing good value for money to consumers or card members.

She said that the concept of the VIP card is similar to the tourist kits that are usually utilized by other countries especially tourist destinations to entice travelers to check out all their commercial establishments and take advantage of the discounts and the perks that each establishment offer.

So far, Enjoy Philippines has gathered 250 merchant members all over the country composed of health and wellness establishments, restaurants, hotels, bars, boutiques and among others and it is a member of the global privilege network www.enjoythebest.com, said Lopez.

She said that for about P1, 495, cardholders or members can have over 1,500 savings as they will get discounts from 10 to 50 percent in hundred different establishments in the country.

“Even if there is a recession it doesn’t mean people would not want to go out to dine, unwind, shop or spend. We have noted that here in the Philippines, we do not have tourist kits that will guide travelers on the different establishments that they can go to around the country,” said Lopez.

She said that after launching the card in Manila last year, they are now slowly introducing it in the Cebu market.

Lopez said that although the market seem to be new to this kind of concept and even a bit hesitant to support, they are targeting to get 20, 000 membership base or card holders in Cebu and 50, 000 nationwide for the next five years.

“Even if the Cebu market seems to be hesitant there is still a big potential for the card to hit the market especially in Manila and Boracay where the concept of privilege VIP cards, discount coupons and gift certificates are no longer something new,” said Lopez.

So far, Enjoy Philippines still has around 2,000 cardholders nationwide as of the moment, said Lopez.

“The feedbacks from cardholders are so far so good and they usually say that it’s helpful to them because it contains very good deals that can provide savings,” said Lopez.

She said that after the launch in Manila and the introduction to Cebu, they are looking at also exploring the possibility of tapping the market in Boracay because there are many commercial establishments there as well as tourists.

Lopez also said that they are in talks with the Department of Tourism (DOT) so that they can get endorsements that will make it easier to market the card nationwide.

She said that aside from the huge potential tourist market, they are also looking at marketing these privilege cards to the corporate market like business process outsourcing firms which have a big yuppie segment like call center agents. —Rhia de Pablo