THE Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) will be making a more aggressive push in promotions in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia from which tourist arrivals have been sputtering this year.
In an interview with the BusinessMirror, TPB Chief Operating Officer Venus Marie Tan said these three “markets of concern” share almost the same profile, in that the travelers are constantly on the lookout for new tourism products. “That’s why we are coming up with product enhancement, different mix and match of packages, so wherever they will go, it won’t be the same.”
She explained this was why these markets, especially Singapore, have experienced a slowdown in arrivals—“once they go to a place, they don’t go back unless you offer them something new or different.”
So part of TPB’s “recovery plan” for the these markets is to have joint promotions with online travel agencies and airlines, allocate a bigger number of buyers from these countries in upcoming travel fairs, conduct a tactical campaign with industry partners for special packages, as well as place ads in digital platforms and leading magazines in those countries.
From January to May, visitor arrivals from Hong Kong slumped by 34.88 percent, Singapore dropped by 14.4 percent, and Malaysia dipped by 0.28 percent.
So for Singaporean tourists for instance, Tan said they are basically looking for “short travel and soft adventure, but it always has to be new.”
Singaporeans are always hard at work, so when they go on a holiday, they want to relax, but at the same time, experience some challenges. So the tour packages that should be offered to them are “not just the beach, but with a wellness component, like a spa, with some soft nightlife with friends, and a little bit of [level 1] hiking.”
Singaporean tourists also are into nature and surprisingly, shopping, even though their city-state is a prime destination for shoppers. “That’s why we are pushing local luxury weaves, and putting these in a framework we can be proud of,” she said.
In this regard, the TPB is trying to help marginalized communities through its sustainable tourism community tourism plan by connecting producers of these local weaves with buyers like Unica, Bayo, etc.
Tan stressed that tourists are willing to pay more if these products have a CSR (corporate social responsibility) component.
Halal tourism
Meanwhile, she said Malaysian tourists are still big on halal tourism. But while government agencies are still looking to strengthen the Philippines’s capabilities in this market, Tan said the TPB will be focusing on the Chinese Malaysians. “While they are a smaller market (compared to the Muslim Malaysians) they have a lot of money to spend,” she noted.
As they are high spenders, Chinese Malaysians usually go for long-haul travel where they experience different climates. “But they are willing to allot one to two short-haul trips in a year,” she explained, which is why TPB is trying to entice them to visit the Philippines.
TPB is also primarily targeting travelers between the ages of 25 and 45 because “they are the ones who have the money, the energy, and are keen on exploring (locations and experiences).”
Tan expressed optimism that the 8.2-million targeted foreign tourist arrivals this year will be reached. “We are really going to push it, that’s why we are going tactical and going to do massive promotions especially for these markets of concern.”
The TPB chief was at the general membership meeting of the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association Inc. (HSMA) on Thursday, where she presented the programs and projects of the TPB for the rest of the year.
Its largest project this year is the Phitex (Philippine Travel Exchange) convention that will be held in October 18 to 28. About 150-200 buyers and companies from around the world are expected this year. Among the major markets that will be focused on are health and wellness, digital talk, vegan and vegetarian lifestyle travel, and the Halal market.
Another major project is MICE Connect which will largely target international buyers specializing in meetings, incentive travel, conventions and conferences, and exhibits. The event will be held within the Phitex period, specifically from October 22 to 28.
TPB is the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism.