Philippine tour operators are shifting toward cheaper land-based packages and Southeast Asian markets as high airfares and global uncertainties make long-haul tourism harder to sustain.
Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) President Maria Lourdes Flor Japson said operators are redesigning packages to make destinations more accessible without relying heavily on air travel.
“We know that airfare is quite expensive. We innovated on something different that we could maximize tourism arrival without using the flights only,” Japson said in an interview on the sidelines of the opening of the 37th Philippine Travel Mart on Friday.
PHILTOA has revived its LakbayAnihan tourism caravans, which use land transportation to offer more affordable trips to destinations such as Quezon and the Laoag-Vigan-La Union circuit.
Japson said high airfares have made long-haul markets increasingly challenging, prompting operators to focus more on Southeast Asia.
“If we will just be concentrating on the long-haul arrivals, which is definitely very challenging on us because airfares are expensive, we need to be creative, like targeting ASEAN market,” she said.
PHILTOA is pursuing joint promotions within ASEAN and developing thematic circuits focused on textiles, faith, and volunteer tourism. It is also exploring packages that could bring long-haul travelers to the Philippines through stopovers in other Southeast Asian destinations.
Despite the headwinds, Japson said bookings are “keeping up,” although operators should temper expectations for stronger growth.
“We cannot expect a higher… increase because of the global crisis,” she said. “I think, fair enough, that at least we are increasing compared to last year.”
The group is also promoting emerging destinations such as Quezon and Misamis Occidental alongside established tourism hubs.
