MANILA, Philippines — A local group of travel agencies is bullish about a strong uptake in tourist bookings this year, signaling a renewed confidence from the sector which hit P760 billion in revenues in 2024.
“Our outlook for the year is that it will be very robust,” Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) president Evangeline Manotok told the Inquirer on the sidelines of their press conference for the upcoming PTAA Travel Tour Expo in February.
Article continues after this advertisement“We see that there is strong interest for Filipinos to travel to new destinations and it has increasingly become part of their normal lives to travel,” Manotok said.
FEATURED STORIES BUSINESS BIZ BUZZ: AirAsia bets bigger on PH BUSINESS 2024 GDP growth pegged at 5.8% BUSINESS Fuel price watch: Gasoline, diesel down 80¢/L, 20¢/L starting Jan 28She said that there are also strong indications that travel bookings will grow this year, noting in particular the more than 1 million tourist bookings that were recorded for Filipinos who traveled to Hong Kong alone in 2024.
gamemania jackpot“And then the Taiwan Tourism Board also said that we had over 300,000 visitors,” Manotok said.
Article continues after this advertisementCountries like South Korea and Japan also show promise based on their booking numbers and from the respective countries’ tourism boards, said the PTAA official.
“South Korea has so many destinations they are promoting,” she said.
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By the closing bell, the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) shed 0.26 percent, or 19.31 points, to 7,437, snapping a two-session winning streak.
“Reaching 4,000 stores is an incredible milestone that reflects the trust and loyalty we’ve earned from our customers over the years. It’s also a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our team” Philippine Seven Corp. (PSC) co-founder and chairman of the board Jose Pardo said in a statement Tuesday.