To promote tourism, tour operators eye putting up of tour packages for shorter routes

CEBU, Philippines – To further promote the tourism industry, the National Association of the Independent Travel Agencies- Philippines Inc. is now studying on the possibility of putting up tour packages for shorter routes within the country.

NAITAS president Angel Ramos Bognot said this was upon the request of Department of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

Bognot said Durano has them to start a product development that would point out to shorter routes which would help in the promotion of tourism.

She said that it would take them about three months of study first because they need to coordinate with their local chapters and study on all those included in the package like the transportation in the province, the restaurants and the accommodation.

“In developing the product, it needs a lot of work, time and money to develop the product,” Bognot added.

She said this is a new form of marketing wherein they will be tapping emerging destinations that would promote natural and man-made attractions like festivals and the respective cultures of the provinces visited and of the Filipinos in general.

NAITAS will also be closely coordinating with the local government units and officials who play a vital role in the development and promotion of tourism.

Bognot made as an example the South East Asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia that have reported high domestic tourism because they are close to each other and tourists could cross these countries easily.

“If we do that also in the country — meaning domestic, we could rekindle the excitement of traveling,” she explained.

But Bognot quickly clarified that the new marketing form is not due to the effect of the financial crisis that has reportedly hit the tourism sector. She said it was suggested for the domestic airlines to take missionary routes instead of major routes.

According to her, most of the airlines are finding different routes to offer to their customers due to competition, so the new form of marketing was their way to “go with the flow” as tour operators. Bognot also encouraged more of their travel agency members who were present during their general assembly to open their companies, not only for ticketing or usual services offered, but also offer packages that would encourage the people to travel more. “Be a wholesaler in your own right,” she said.

NAITAS is the biggest national travel organization in the Philippines with more than 1,000 members from 17 chapters nationwide. Most of them were in Cebu lately for the Philippine International Tourism Fair at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel. — AJ de la Torre/WAB (THE FREEMAN)