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The Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), Inc. is an organization of tour operators and allied members actively involved in the advocacy of responsible tourism. Founded on 12 June 1986, non-stock and non-profit organization. The membership includes travel agencies, hotels, resorts, transportation companies, handicraft stores, and other tourism-oriented establishments and association.
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BAGUIO CITY — Commercial flights of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) from Baguio to Cebu and vice versa are set to end on July 1, 2024.
The flag carrier recently announced the halt of the route because of poor passenger traffic.
This means that people of Cebu who like to have the Baguio experience or have business activities in the city will have to travel by sea and land. Likewise, people of Baguio and nearby places in Luzon will also go through the same process.
The average travel time via airplane from Cebu to Baguio and vice versa is one hour and 45 minutes. On the other hand, the travel time time from Cebu to Manila is around 21 hours via land via Maharlika Highway while it takes one hour and 30 minutes.
Travel time via land from Manila to Baguio is around four to five hours.
The flag carrier opened its commercial flights Baguio-Cebu and vice versa in December 2022.
PAL, however, assured the passengers of the cancelled flights of Baguio-Cebu-Baguio will be provided the necessary assistance and refunds.
MANILA – Following consistent flight demand to and from Singapore via the Clark International Airport (CRK), low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) has increased operations between the two, from thrice weekly to daily.
“The Clark-Singapore route is one of the routes that we launched when CEB restarted its Clark hub in April 2023. Although flight frequencies change depending on the demand and aircraft availability, the Clark-Singapore flight continues to operate due to consistent demand among travelers from this station and its surrounding areas,” CEB Communications Specialist Roxanne Gochuico told the Philippine News Agency Friday.
CEB’s daily flights to Singapore started June 1.
“As more people travel to Singapore, CRK and CEB are happy to provide even more convenient and hassle-free ways to reach the Garden City,” Noel Manankil, manager of CRK operator Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corp., said.
Meanwhile, CEB recently renewed partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) not only to provide accessible and affordable flights, but also to further enhance Singapore’s tourism industry by attracting more visitors from the Philippines, fostering cultural exchange and promoting economic growth.
According to CEB, the Philippines was Singapore’s sixth largest tourism market in 2023, with almost 700,000 tourist arrivals.
“Our renewed partnership with STB aims to enhance the appeal for travel to Singapore, focusing now on the country’s array of vibrant events,” Gochuico said.
The carrier also introduced new ambassadors for the initiative and the partnership is set to feature Singapore’s innovative architecture and cultural heritage.
Aside from Clark, the Gokongwei-owned airline also offers thrice daily flights between Manila and Singapore, and daily flights via Cebu. (PNA)
AirAsia X will connect travellers from Malaysia to Nairobi in Kenya’s capital from November 15 this year, following the airline’s introduction of new flights to Almaty in Kazakhstan.
The airline will also offer a seamless Fly-Thru connection, creating a link between Kenya and 130 destinations across South-east Asia, Northern and Central Asia, and Australia.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) marked the resumption of its Clark to Basco route on July 2, 2024, in a ceremony at the Clark International Airport. The reinstated service aims to strengthen tourism and provide more travel options for Filipinos.
The four-times-weekly flights operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, aboard the 86-seat De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 Next Generation.
2P-2688 departs Clark at 11:00 AM, arriving in Basco at 12:35 PM. The return flight, 2P-2689, leaves Basco at 1:00 PM and lands in Clark at 2:35 PM.
The direct service to Basco complements PAL’s existing daily flights between Manila and the island province. Clark International Airport also serves as a hub for PAL’s other domestic destinations, including Cebu, Boracay (Caticlan), and Coron (Busuanga).
Richard Daenos, Department of Tourism Region 3 Director, highlighted the significance of the route, stating, “The flight represents the culmination of meticulous planning, coordination, and dedication, a testament of our commitment to enhance connectivity and to foster new opportunities for commerce, tourism, and cultural exchanges.”
Noel Manankil, President and CEO of Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corporation (LIPAD), expressed enthusiasm about the route’s potential impact. “We are thrilled to once again connect Clark to the breathtaking beauty of Batanes. This flight not only opens up opportunities to explore this unique destination but also strengthens our commitment towards convenient travel options for all,” Manankil said.
PAL Express President Rabbi Vincent Ang emphasized the strategic importance of Clark as a hub. “It gives us great pride to meet the demand for flights out of Central Luzon, a strategic gateway to Northern, Central and Southern Philippines,” Ang noted.
The inaugural flight was celebrated with a water salute as the aircraft departed from Clark Airport, symbolizing the route’s official reopening and the potential for future growth in air travel options from Clark International Airport.
CEBU PACIFIC, operated by Cebu Air, Inc., is further expanding its domestic network by launching flights to San Vicente, Palawan from Cebu in October, it said on Wednesday.
“Cebu Pacific is thrilled to expand our domestic network by introducing flights to San Vicente,” Alexander G. Lao, Cebu Pacific president and chief commercial officer, said in a statement.
The airline company will operate flights between Cebu and San Vicente, Palawan four times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays beginning Oct. 24, the budget carrier said.
The soon-to-be launched flight route to San Vicente, Palawan will not only allow travelers easier access to affordable flights but it also boost inter-island connectivity, Mr. Lao said.
The airline company on Wednesday launched a week-long sale for the Cebu-San Vicente flights. The travel period for the flights on sale is on Oct. 24 until March 29, 2025.
Under Cebu Pacific’s seat sale, flights could cost as low as P1 for the one-way base fare, excluding fees and surcharges.
Meanwhile, the budget carrier is also offering connecting flights to San Vicente, Palawan from Manila for a one-way base fare of as low as P998 until the end of month. The travel period for the promo is also from Oct. 24 until March 29, 2025.
Cebu Air earlier said it was planning to expand its international routes and increase flight frequencies to popular local and foreign destinations in line with its $12-billion aircraft order, whose supplier is set to be announced soon.
To date, Cebu Pacific flies to 35 domestic and 24 international destinations in Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.
INVESTORS are positive about the medium- and long-term growth outlook of the Philippine hospitality sector, a new report showed.
In the 2024 Philippine Hotel Investment Outlook Survey, 89 percent of the respondents, comprising hotel owners and operators in the Philippines, said they have a “positive outlook” about the overall hospitality industry for the next one to three years.
Confidence was even more robust for the long term, with 95 percent of respondents believing the industry would thrive beyond the next three years.
“While the pandemic initially halted many hotel developments and the high cost of capital has put others on hold, investors in the Philippines are now ramping up efforts to initiate new hotel projects,” the report read.
This shift, it said, comes as demand rebounds and supply shortages emerge in various destinations across the country.
The survey, conducted by the Philippine Hotel Owners Association (PHOA) and Leechiu Property Consultants, was released during the 1st Philippine Tourism and Hotel Investment Forum Summit at the New World Makati Hotel on Friday.
The respondents represent more than 10,000 keys in the industry, spanning properties across major cities and market segments in the country.
Meanwhile, the survey also showed that investors still have “mixed feelings” about the short-term industry prospects due to inflation driving up the costs of transportation, goods and services, all of which impact both tourists and hotels.
“With hotels only beginning to resume full operations in 2023, investors are still working to recover from pandemic-related losses. This period also presents an opportunity for operators to address shifts in guests’ demands and preferences,” the study read.
PHILTOA members share their unforgettable experience during a familiarization tour in Kashmir. From the warm hospitality of the Kashmiri people to breathtaking scenery and immersive cultural experiences, they were impressed by the beauty and charm of the region. With excellent accommodations, delicious food, and safe travel, they highly recommend Kashmir as a must-visit destination year-round.
#PHILTOA
#IndiaFamiliarizationTour
#BoundbytourismDriverbyunity
#KashmirFamiliarizationTour
One of PHILTOA’s Familiarization Tour in Kashmir representative Ms. Carlota Casas of EC Mind Tours experienced the exquisite Kashmirian tapestry and was featured on a local online news channel.
Experience the vibrant culture and craftsmanship of this beautiful region with your trusted travel agents/members soon!
DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Philippine Tour Operators Association Inc., the country’s leading and largest travel and tours group, and the provincial government of Negros Oriental joined hands in efforts to spur the tourism industry in the province.
For 2024, executive director and provincial tourism board chair of Negros Oriental Tourism Council Woodrow “RR” Maquiling Jr. said that the province targets 500,000 tourist arrivals, an increase from last year’s 272,000 inbound tourists.
The 2024 tourist arrival target is still far from the more than 1 million tourist arrival record in 2019, the last full year before the Philippines implemented travel restrictions due to COVID-19.
Maquiling, however, said that despite this, the Negros Oriental tourism numbers are picking up, reporting that in the first quarter of 2024 the province beached its 125,000 quarterly target and registered 142,000 tourist arrivals. This is a 155% increase from the 55,000 registered in Q1 of 2023.
He added that the Department of Tourism estimates that the 142,000 is equivalent to P2.8 billion revenue circulating among the people of the province.
The provincial tourism official said that tour operators can help Negros Oriental recover from the impact of COVID-19 and promoting the province to international and local clients.
“We had four governors in one term at the capitol. All the help you can extend to the province and the people of Negros Oriental ensuring that our tourism stays afloat is very much appreciated,” Maquiling said during the business-to-business session with PHILTOA and local stakeholders.
“PHILTOA will help us reach our goals, our targets. If we continue to push harder, maybe we can reach 600,000 arrivals by the end of the year,” he said in another speech last May 19, adding that 550,000 to 600,000 is equivalent to P10 to P12 billion revenue for the province.
Negros Oriental has faced several challenges amid the changes in leadership following the controversial killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo.
Currently, the province is led by Gov. Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarría who assumed office in May 2023. Maquiling said tourism is among the top priorities of the incumbent provincial government who wishes to push tourism, culture and arts as an economic driver for the people of Negros Oriental.
As a reciprocal gesture to the warm welcome of the provincial government, the tour operator members of PHILTOA and members of the press visited Negros Oriental from May 16 to 19 to immerse in the tour offerings of the province and its capital Dumaguete City, dubbed the “City of Gentle People.” This coincided with the centennial celebration of the capitol.
The following members joined the familiarization tour eyed to market the diverse tourist destinations of the province including the world-famous Apo Island, Manjuyod White Sandbar, Balinsasayaw Twin Lakes, Dumaguete City’s historic gems such as the Belfry, Siliman University, St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral and the heart of the city, Rizal Boulevard, among others:
They also networked with the province’s fellow tour operators and hospitality groups including the Negros Oriental Association of Travel and Tour Agencies and the Negros Oriental Hotel Resort Restaurant Association in business-to-business sessions.
The Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) puts another exclamation mark to its position as the premiere domestic and inbound tourism association by organizing a familiarization trip for its members and media to the island of Negros Oriental in partnership with the provincial tourism office. This event coincides with the grand Centennial celebration of the provincial capitol.
On the first day of the 4D/3N tour, 17 Manila-based tour operators met with an equal number of their Dumaguete counterparts for a B2B session in the afternoon.
Former Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Director of NCR, Woodrow Maquiling, Jr., now the Executive Director of the Provincial Tourism Office of Negros Oriental, welcomed the PHILTOA delegation. He highlighted impressive numbers, revealing 272,000 tourist arrivals last year.
“I always post on social media that we are aiming for 500,000 tourist arrivals this year because of that data. In the first quarter of this year, we reached 142,000, an increase of 155% from last year, so that goal is reachable,” Maquiling said.
Former DOT Assistant Secretary and current PHILTOA VP Maria Lourdes Japson expressed her gratitude for the support given by the province and its private sector.
“As always, we are committed to supporting the growth and sustainability of the Philippine tourism industry. We believe that by working together, we can overcome challenges, adapt to new trends, and continue to attract visitors from around the globe,” Japson stated.
The PHILTOA tour included visits to the newly paved roads of the province, the pristine natural attractions of Apo Island and its marine sanctuary, Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park, the Manjuyod sandbar adventures, Bais dolphin watching, PulangBato falls, hot springs, Mag-aso sulfur vents, the immaculate National Museum of Dumaguete, Rizal Boulevard, St. Catherine Cathedral, and new Instagram-worthy sites like The Barn and Tierra Alta events place, while sampling traditional cuisine.
PHILTOA delegates also participated in another B2B event and social gathering at a dinner hosted by the Negros Oriental Hotel and Resorts Association (NOHRRA), led by its president, Royani Dy. The association currently has 68 stakeholders and frontliners of the hospitality sector as members.
Japson remarked that the tour operators are grateful for the market-friendly contracted rates offered by NOHRRA members, and emphasized the importance of the food industry with the burgeoning trend of food tourism, noting that Negros Oriental can excel in this area.
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental — The provincial government of Negros Oriental is set to celebrate the 100th year of its Capitol building in Dumaguete City on Friday.
For the centennial celebration of the Capitol building, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines is also slated to install a historical marker in the renowned structure.
Built in 1924, the provincial Capitol in Dumaguete houses the governor’s office and other provincial government offices.
According to the provincial government, its architecture, was patterned after the Capitol in the United States of America while its main body is Grecian and its columns are Ionic.
“During this period of American occupation, the colonizers hired the services of city planner and architect Daniel Hudson Burnham to design the new provincial capitol. Before, it was located in what is now the Serafin Teves residence at the Rizal Boulevard,” a Negros Oriental said.
The neoclassical building is similar to other structures like the fire-gutted Manila Post Office and the National Museum in Manila. Provincial capitols of Negros Occidental, Leyte and Cebu also has similar artchitecture.
Negros Oriental said it is “a living reminder of our colonial past that has brought to our shores the ideals of democracy.’
To mark the 100th year of the Capitol, Negros Oriental prepared activities including the commemorative centennial pyro-musical competition and a concert at Freedom Park, fronting the building.
Among the guest artists announced include Kuh Ledesma, Midnasty, “Tawag ng Tanghalan’s” Kim Hewitt, Willfreedo, Jacky Chang and Southbugs.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Sens. Risa Hontiveros, Jinggoy Estrada, Imee Marcos and Francis Tolentino will also grace the centennial celebration.
Negros Oriental Gov. Chaco invited the public to join the festivities. He also announced a photo and same-day edit video contest, where prizes awaits participants.
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