“THE entire world just stopped moving. The world changed so much and the tourism industry was one of the hardest hit. We at Klook experienced the most difficult time in our history but we moved forward and looked at domestic tourism,” said Michelle Ho, general manager at Klook Philippines.
Before the pandemic, tourism was big business. Of course, closed borders and people afraid to travel changed all that. Klook, a tours and attractions platform, had to make a pivot to survive this slump.
One of Klook’s responses to the travel and tourism slowdown was a new home-based experiences initiative, called Klook Home, across 14 markets. It offered home-based experiences, including Do-It-Yourself (DIY) craft and cooking kits, online workshops and free virtual tours.
So now, people are ready to travel again, even if it’s still with caution, and Klook has launched the “Your World of Joy” campaign “to play on joyful moments at the core of travel.”
“As we enter a new era of travel, this rebrand is our commitment to bring joy back to our customers who have missed the magic of traveling and be their go-to travel and leisure app at home or abroad,” said Eric Gnock Fah, chief operating officer and co-founder of Klook. “We’re happy to see things are picking up,” said Ho. “So what we’re launching is a whole new Klook.”
The platform has shifted gears to focus on domestic travel with the best prices guaranteed for local theme parks, water parks and zoos, including new product offerings such as hotels, resorts and F&B vouchers. These new experiences are completely bookable through the app.
To announce its rebrand, Klook, which can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, held its first hybrid event with a virtual and on-ground launch event, which seemed to symbolize that it’s okay for people to continue staying at home but it’s also all right for them to go out and experience new things.
“We are hopeful that travel in the Philippines and across the world will return in full force soon. The rebrand is our commitment to inspire and enable more moments of joy, as we reimagine the way we travel in this new environment,” said Ho.
One of the changes that Klook has made is expand digital solutions, such as payment options, for app users. For instance, they discovered that many users preferred paying with GCash. Klook also partnered with Google to ensure that the attractions they’re offering were easily discovered through Google.
Customers can now experience Klook across three categories: Play, Stay and Move. The latest offers include hotels and staycations, car rentals, attraction passes and services, including Covid-19 testing and travel-related insurance. These offerings are all designed and created for the convenience and enjoyment of modern travelers.
Stay+ allows customers to purchase room-only offers at competitive rates with bundled experiences, including attractions, local tours, in-hotel services and more. Klook Pass is an exclusive all-in-one digital pass that provides customers with savings, convenience, and a one-of-a-kind booking experience. In partnership with ZA Tech, Klook became the first travel player to roll out a full suite of travel-related insurance on a multi-market level. With the reopening of different borders, outbound travel from the Philippines is slowly becoming a reality.
Singapore has opened its borders to Philippine passport holders, and Klook has been preparing for that with hotel options with exclusive deals, enhanced attractions experience and a complete Singapore food trip guide.
In line with Klook’s “World of Joy” campaign, the company is offering two exclusive and limited promo codes for March: STAYHAPPY to redeem up to 22-percent off for local hotels, and resorts with a minimum spend of P5,000. EXPERIENCEJOY for 10-percent off on all Klook activities.