Comments on: Don’t Bother Wasting Your Time at the PTAA Travel Expo at MOA this weekend!

By: barbs

barbs — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 21:24:16 +0000

Hi everyone, just a general question, on the up coming travel expo 2016, do I need to register or do I have to pay something on the said event?

By: Ella Santos Honrado-Trivinio

Ella Santos Honrado-Trivinio — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 12:03:15 +0000

I think the Philippines should embrace the “sex tourism” industry ala Thailand. Our women are already well know in various parts of the world for their sexual guile and limber abilities. From Singapore to Dubai. I think we should capitalize on that and legalize it. And morally-upright people should keep their 1950s sampaguita picture morals in check and get on with the 21st century.

By: tercer

tercer — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 21:04:57 +0000

Why were seniors given priority over everyone else? Just by virtue of being older? If I were one of the younger folks who came really early and witnessed several seniors who came much later but were able to jump the line (with their escorts), I may have protested.

By: Marketman

Marketman — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 23:06:39 +0000

Jenrod729, I have to admit I wasn’t looking for package trips… but if you wish to go to browse travel agent offerings, Sunday might be a good day when many of the serious bargain hunters with long lists of bookings have already come through. My post was mainly targeted at those wanting to book airline tickets directly. However, if logic is consistent, if the airlines weren’t offering many deals, then I would guess that the package tours weren’t the best either…

By: Jenrod729

Jenrod729 — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 15:57:35 +0000

I was so set on attending this event but was discouraged by the fact that it is valentines weekend. I didn’t want to get stuck in traffic with the people out on dates. I was planning to let the 14th pass and attend tomorrow the 15th. I wanted I ask if you noticed any package trips abroad that seemed good. Destinations like Cambodia, Thailand or even Europe. Thanks

By: Marketman

Marketman — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 13:51:37 +0000

Mimi, Mrs. MM picked up a few brochures/fliers from some beach resorts, like El Nido and other upper end resorts and they seemed to have a few deals, but nothing that made us rush back to book rooms…

By: Mimi

Mimi — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 12:59:19 +0000

Hi, were you able to see the promos being offered by beach resorts/hotels? Are they any good? :)

By: Marketman

Marketman — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 10:39:44 +0000

Monty, I think that’s probably part of the picture… certainly airports and hotel rooms are a critical component, along with other infrastructure issues like decent and unclogged roadways to tourist destinations, reliable and well-priced (not exorbitant) power, water and sewage systems. Domestic travel, air and sea in particular are somewhat expensive, unreliable in some cases, and schedules erratic. Bus and other vehicular travel can be hard and spotty and expensive to arrange.

But I think there are other issues as well. Like a shortage of properly managed or maintained tourist sites in key cities. One can go to Cebu for 2 days, but besides beaches and some churches and an interesting thing here and there, there isn’t much else to see except the malls and other equally boring things. Also, many things are just so remote and difficult to get to.

Service here, for a country that used to be known as the source of service personnel for all over the globe, if often left wanting in hotels and restaurants. There just isn’t the apparent pride in work, and quality of service that is seen in so many other of our neighbors.

Crime and related issues are another topic of concern. It’s bad enough Filipinos try to scam other pinoys in cabs from piers, airports and other destinations, but when they do it to foreigners, it really sends a poor message to others who may want to visit the country.

As for the type of tourists, how many of the 5 million are actually Filipino balikbayans, carrying Philippine passports and their spouses and families? I would wager a wild guess that maybe as many as 35-50% of our “tourists” are in fact Filipinos coming home to visit (that’s probably true in Vietnam as well to some degree). Many other tourists are those from China, South Korea, etc. on very low-priced tours, here for a bit of sun on the beaches, or to gamble, or worse, in search of prostitutes or equally unsavory things…

Our environmental record is pretty appalling as well. With 97% of our forests denuded and sending topsoil to the seas, our reefs almost 95% damaged, our seas overfished, our water quality in top places like Boracay approaching a watered down sewage tank… you have to sigh.

I could write more, but it’s a bit depressing and negative.

I always thought that the Philippines target of 10 million tourists by 2016 was “pie in the sky” and probably mentioned that in an old post, but it helps to set ambitious targets, as long as we really address the key things that will make that goal possible. A catchy phrase isn’t going to make up for a lot of missing basics.

By: Monty

Monty — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 23:39:44 +0000

I wonder if our airport situation is affecting the price of airfare. With oil prices down significantly from last year, there should be a lot of bargains to be had, but this is not the case. Has our airport’s inability to handle more passengers led to a shortage of supply amidst a growing demand from both local and foreign travelers? Just yesterday the WSJ had an article about the Philippines’ inability to attract tourists, with the main reason being the lack of modern airports and hotel rooms. We barely got 5 million tourists, as compared to Malaysia’s 28m and Thailand’s 26m.

By: Shel

Shel — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 18:06:03 +0000

planning to go as well tomorrow, thanks for the tip, will definitely change my plans instead