Manila & Cebu remain in focus

The ‘Philippines Destination Training’ is an in-depth workshop for leading agents of the country. At the recently-conducted session in Delhi, Philippines Tourism Marketing Office, India, laid focus on Manila and Cebu. The trainings will soon be conducted in four other Indian cities.

Kanchan Nath

Philippines Tourism Marketing Office, India, recently conducted a training for destination managers in the trade, educating them on the unique offerings of the archipelago for all types of travellers, while also elucidating on visa policies for Indian passport holders. At The Park, New Delhi, a total of 123 agents marked their presence for the first leg of the five-city series. Sharing some details, Seema Datt, Account Director, Philippines Tourism Marketing Office, India, said, “The trainings give an in-depth knowledge to the trade. For instance, if a client were to visit Manila, we would provide the agent details on the attractions there, activities their client can participate in, getting there, etc., thereby helping them make interesting itineraries. Such destination knowledge will equip the trade to revert to all queries their clients may have. Having begun in Delhi, the trainings will move on to Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata.”

Soft adventures in the Philippines have become very popular with millennials. Datt said that so far, she has seen that the trade is very happy with this new format of in-depth information about the destination. “Such trainings help them build exclusive itineraries, and even minute details about the destination are on their fingertips by the time they walk out of these trainings,” she said. Outbound tourism from India to the Philippines has seen constant rise and has been growing at the rate of 20 per cent a year, which is quite a large number, Datt shared.

What the trade says

For Rajeev Sabharwal, CEO, Gaurav Travels, the destination attracts a lot of tourists primarily because of its pristine beaches. “There is Bohol, Cebu, Boracay, and even Palawan which has an excellent beach resort,” he shared.

Rajiv Narula, Founder, MD & COO at The Comforts, said, “There has been a definite change in the perception of hospitality as a profession, emphasising on the need to stay updated with the nuances of a destination. This is another reason to be part of the training.”

For Saurabh Tuteja, General Secretary, Enterprising Travel Agents’ Association, “The Philippines has everything to offer for M!CE, which needs a destination that is flexible and also offers nature and nightlife.”