THE 2018 Klook Travel Fest, the first mobile-led travel fair in the country, will be held today and tomorrow (September 29 and 30) at the SMX Convention Center, SM Aura.
Klook is an online tour booking site that allows you to plan your travel activities via an app. You purchase your tickets to attractions, transportation and transfers, restaurants and even pocket Wi-Fi and SIM cards.
The 2018 Klook Travel Fest is an experiential travel fair that brings together both local and regional partner attractions, airlines, tourism bodies and key opinion leaders from the travel industry for a weekend of exhibitions, workshops and, of course, great deals.
The exhibitors and attractions include Universal Studios Japan, Resorts World Sentosa, Ocean Park Hong Kong, Ngong Ping 360, Taipei Fun Pass, Big Bus Tours, Madame Tussauds, Legoland Malaysia, Skytrek Adventures, Dessert Museum and Sanrio Odakyu.
For the travel fest, Klook has also tapped Thailand Tourism Board, Singapore Tourism Board and Korea Tourism Organization and airlines, such as Cebu Pacific, EVA Air, China Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Jetstar.
One thing that makes the 2018 Klook Travel Fest unique is that it will also stage workshops, talks and performances featuring some of the country’s top influencers and artists.
Day 1:
- “What It Takes to Become a Travel Influencer” with David Guison, Deegee Razon and Vina Guererro
- “How to Travel in Style” with Nicole Andersson, Camille Co and Kryz Uy
- “Staying Healthy before your Trip” with Vince Velasco
- “Travel on a Budget” with The Poor Traveler
- Performances from Mayonnaise, Dane Hipolito and IV of Spades
Day 2:
- “Traveling with Kids” with The Mother Show DJs Andi Manzano, Delamar Arias and Riki Flores-Reyes
- “Mastering Creative Night Photography” with Janina Manipol
- “Eat Your Way Through Singapore” with Our Awesome Planet’s Anton Diaz
- “#StrongIndependentTraveler” with Sam Oh, Issa Pressman and The Pinay Solo Backpacker
- “Exploring K-Drama Locations” with Ana Gonzales
- “Full Time Corporate Employee, Part Time Traveler” with Colleen Vidal
- “Occupation: Traveler” with Wil Dasovich and Jako de Leon
- Performances from Reese Lansangan, Sud and Autotelic
Klook Philippines will also introduce its new ambassador duo—Alex Gonzaga and Luis Manzano—during the event.
The 2018 Klook Travel Fest marks the first anniversary of Klook in the Philippines. Last year Klook had unique launch, which saw four sets of influencers going to different destinations: Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Palawan.
I met Marcus Yong, head of marketing for Klook Southeast Asia, in Singapore last year and was impressed by his impressive and inclusive insights on modern travel.
The Philippines is a top market for Klook in Southeast Asia, with users that are very engaged.
“Filipinos love to travel and spend a lot of money on experiences. Based on our data, 65 percent of bookings made by Filipinos are made on mobile. We’ve also found out that Filipinos like to check out blogs and travel sites for inspiration,” said Yong.
Yong said Klook is not primarily a travel company but a technology company. Many of their bookings are done at the last minute, sometimes even while the traveler is outside a theme park or attraction.
“We offer a seamless app experience,” said Yong. “The user gets to read reviews, click on a few tabs and then he or she is all set with a QR code. Klook eliminates the need to fall in line and other inconveniences.”
Klook’s market is composed mostly of millennials. About 60 percent are in the 25 to 34 age range, 22 percent in the 35 to 44, and 15 percent are 18 to 24. Three percent are 45 years old and above and this is one of the reasons Klook has localized content and 24-hour customer service in many of the countries where it has a presence. Klook has over 50,000 offerings in more than 200 destinations.
In many destinations, its offices accommodate visitors who aren’t very tech-savvy or those who have a lot of questions because while Klook is an app, Yong said they are, first and foremost, people-oriented.
Klook’s content is chosen carefully so the user doesn’t need to look through 50 to 60 entries if he or she is looking for an attraction or means of transportation. That means anything and everything on the Klook platform is the best at that price point, and that each and every activity has been tried and tested.
Connect with them online: goo.gl/N5evzn (web site), bit.ly/2tD5pkV (Klook PH Facebook), or bit.ly/2kkHbbi (Klook PH Instagram).