More Pinoys to spend holidays at the beach

CEBU, Philippines - Despite the chilly holiday ambiance, the former tourism undersecretary and senior adviser Phineas Alburo expects more Filipinos to spend the yuletide season at the beach.

Alburo said that beach areas, wherever it is, is very popular among Filipinos.

Popular beach destinations in the province include Bantayan Island, Camotes, and Malapascua, while neighboring provinces have Panglao Island, Bohol, Boracay, and Sumilon Island, Negros Oriental, Alburo said.

Baguio, also known as the summer capital of the Philippines, is also a favorite among Filipinos, Alburo said.

“For Baguio and Boracay, you will need a miracle to book your accommodations there this week,” Alburo said.

But, for the much wiser Filipinos, they had already taken advantage of the early-booking system which also provides cheaper fare rates.

On the other hand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok, Thailand are among the commonly visited countries for Filipinos who are willing to splurge their money to shop.

According to Alburo, the movement of people at this time of the week will be good for the Philippine tourism industry.

“When people go out, they spend money. And spending, whether in small amounts, is good for the economy,” he said.

Likewise, Alburo advised Filipino Christians to set aside a time for prayer in observance of the Christmas season.

"Setting aside time to pray rather than vacationing is good for the soul,” he concluded.

With the financial difficulties more Filipino families are expected to spend their vacation in the Philippines, rather than spending it abroad, in order to save cost.

In fact, since the global recession started, the domestic market had been the savior of the Philippine tourism.

In the first nine months of this year, the domestics tourism arrivals to Cebu increased by 5.4 percent.

DOT-7 regional office reported that a total of 748,861 domestic tourists visited the region for the period, an increase of 5.4 percent from 710,763 recorded in the same period of last year.

“The domestic travelers have been a key market for the Philippines especially with the onset of the global financial crisis where international market was slow,” said Alburo.

This year, despite the “perceived” financial difficulties, more Filipinos are traveling in the intra-country destination, and Cebu is one of the “top of the list” among Filipino travelers.—Ehda M. Dagooc