There used to be a time when I would play video games till the early hours of the morning, almost up to breakfast time. Then I’d grab a bite and resume playing again until the PlayStation 2 or my wrists gave out (usually it’s the Playstation).
Eventually my wrists did give out and, now that I have carpal tunnel syndrome, I can’t play longer than 30 minutes without my hands getting numb.
After video games, it was movies, followed by binge-watching TV series until eventually it was social media that kept me up at night. For the past few years, however, something else has been keeping me awake, which I know a lot of other Filipinos can relate to: seat sales.
Those rare times when plane tickets are so cheap, you decide to book flights to places you haven’t even heard about.
According to an article I read, Filipinos are now among the top travelers in Asia. The study done by Visa listed the Philippines as the fourth top Asia-Pacific market with the “highest average number of countries visited by a Visa credit card holder surpassed only by Australia, New Zealand and India.” Those results indicate that “Filipinos are now part of an emerging global traveling class,” having visited more than five countries.
I must agree, because even I have gone to several countries in the last few years and I’m not even much of a travel bug.
#Wanderlust #TravelGoals are just a couple of hashtags Pinoys often use when sharing their photos or their travel posts, and as another study found out, Filipinos are very much open to sharing not just their photos, but even personal information in exchange for a more personalized travel experience.
Amadeus, a global travel and tourism industry information technology service provider, in collaboration with YouGov, recently shared the findings of its study “Journey of Me Insights,” which takes a deeper look into the profile of Apac travelers. Spanning 14 Asia-Pacific markets, and considered the most comprehensive Apac traveler survey to date, the study found astounding diversity among travelers’ preferences, behaviors and demands across different nationalities, genders and age groups.
Part of the project is a report on Filipino travelers, titled “Journey of Me Insights: What Filipino Travelers Want.” From when and how Filipino travelers plan and book their trips, to how and why they want to stay connected while traveling, to how frequently they use sharing economy services and the types of new technologies they would be most interested in, the study takes a multifaceted look at what Filipino travelers want. The findings unveiled a few themes that travel providers can focus on:
THE PERSONALIZATION-PRIVACY PARADOX While slightly more cautious than the 64 percent of other Asia Pacific travelers, Pinoys are also open to sharing personal data in return for more relevant offers and personalized experiences. For travel providers, the mandate is clear—personalization must be carefully balanced against rising privacy concerns. They will need to respect and protect personal data and the need for privacy at all times. Above and beyond adhering to legislation, travel players must be able to articulate “What’s the value?” to get travelers to share their data.
GET REAL Travelers take their lead from other travelers, that’s why a lot of people now follow travel bloggers. Inspiration is the doorway to opportunity for travel providers, but authenticity is the key to unlocking it. Rather than the glossy pictures of travel brochures or the carefully curated Instagram feeds of celebrities, Asia Pacific travelers seek what’s genuine and turn to their fellow travelers for inspiration. When planning trips, Filipinos are most influenced by word-of-mouth from friends, family and colleagues, as well as travel reviews. Their social network and travel review sites were, likewise, voted most likely to have sent them relevant recommendations about travel.
THE RIGHT CONTENT, THROUGH THE RIGHT CHANNEL, AT THE RIGHT TIME In the world of travel, every engagement point matters. Beyond personalization, connecting with travelers in a timely and intuitive manner is equally important. While the vast majority of Filipino travelers would be interested in receiving travel recommendations from the moment they consider a trip all the way up to while they are on the trip, travel players must consider carefully how to connect with them and with what content. Fifty-two percent of Filipino travelers prefer to receive updates and recommendations about their trip through e-mail, with only 6 percent happy to be contacted via mobile messaging services. Recommendations that help them save money was the top choice for Filipino travelers (50 percent), while timesaving tips were less popular (12 percent).
THERE ARE MANY ASIAS WITHIN ASIA The most dominant observation from the research is that there is no consistent profile for the Asia Pacific traveler. Stark contrasts in behaviors, needs and preferences were observed across all geographic and demographic lines. For example, while 66 percent of Chinese travelers do most of their trip booking on mobile, only 36 percent of Filipinos do so. Separately, while 70 percent of Japanese travelers have never used a sharing economy service for trip accommodation, 66 percent of Filipino travelers have, and almost half of all Indians say they do so “often” and “very often.” And while 78 percent of Pinoys think it’s important to find service staff at the destination that speak a language they understand, only half (47 percent) of Malaysians do, with Hong Kong travelers (4percent) even less likely to think the same.
ADVENTURE YOUR WAY
Everyone wants to travel, but not everyone can go to a place and experience the same adventure, whether it’s because some personal or physical restrictions (or maybe financial limitations). This is what makes AXN’s new original series Adventure Your Way all the more intriguing. Instead of just watching the host—in this case Atom Araullo—talk about the place, viewers get to decide where he goes next and what challenge he should do.
For the first time, AXN invites its passionate social-media fans to help shape the itinerary of Atom Araullo as he traverses the country with only his phone as a guide. Atom starts his journey with a blank bucket list, which rapidly becomes populated with a variety of suggestions and tips, including skydiving, bungee jumping and camping on a cliff ledge under the stars.
AXN fans are encouraged to share their bucket lists by commenting on Adventure Your Way’s social-media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using #AdventureGoals, where they can also help Atom decide which road to take by watching out for his #TakeMeAnywhere posts.
“Viewers today want to be an active participant in their content consumption, so we’ve bridged the gap between TV and social media by putting AXN fans in direct control of Atom’s adventures. The fantastic response to Adventure Your Way indicates that there is a real appetite for viewers to get involved, have a voice, and then sit back and enjoy watching their ideas come to fruition on AXN,” said Armi Malaluan, director and business head of AXN Networks Philippines.
Adventure Your Way airs Thursday at 8:30 pm, first and exclusively on AXN.
READY FOR A SAVECATION?
A few years ago “staycations” were the thing and now its “savecation,” or saving up for a grander adventure, as RCBC Bank entices potential clients to open a savings or checking account to get the chance to win in their “Savecation” raffle promo.
Whether you’ve been dreaming of swimming in the world-famous beaches of Rio de Janeiro or having a gastronomic exploration of Italy, or maybe re-living some scenes from your favorite Korean drama, the campaign gives lucky depositors the chance to accomplish their travel goals.
Up for grabs are travel packages to 21 countries spanning six continents. These destinations include Sapporo, Japan; Dubai; Cape Town, South Africa; Italy; Morocco; San Francisco, USA; Greece; New Zealand; Belgium; London; Spain; Quebec, Canada; Alaska; Maldives; Brazil; Osaka, Japan; South Korea; Cambodia; Bali, Indonesia; Taiwan; and Malaysia.
RCBC’s Savecation raffle promo will run until March 20. Winning accountholders will get a trip for two, including round-trip airfare, accommodations and tour packages to any of the destinations offered by the bank.
FIVE PLACES TO VISIT THIS LOVE MONTH
Valentine’s Day may have passed, but there are still a few days left in February to surprise or make it up to your SO. It may not be their dream destination yet, but these places are good enough to rekindle the fire or at least put a smile on their faces.
- SPA AND WELLNESS CENTERS Relaxation is at its finest in spas and wellness centers. These places offer different ways to destress after a long and tiring workweek. Among the things you can try are massages from skillful masseurs. Coupled with aromatherapy, massages can help you feel refreshed in just a few minutes. On another note, some spas and wellness centers offer unique amenities like saunas, fish spas, Jacuzzis and hydromassage pools that are guaranteed to leave you wanting more.
- GLAMP OUT! If you’re looking for an out-of-the-box experience, why not try camping and lounge on the best of what nature has to offer? There are groups of professional hikers and mountaineers offering this kind of experience in different campsites near Metro Manila. Also, some resorts take camping to the next level by offering “glamping” as one of their options for accommodation. Glamping lets you enjoy the best of nature with resort amenities.
- BEACHSIDE RESORTS Summer season has yet to officially start, which means it’s the best time to go to the beach. Instead of just lounging around in the sun, why not try kayaking, canoeing or even island-hopping for beachside resorts in places like Alaminos, Zambales, Batangas, Puerto Galera or even Boracay. If you want to check what’s underwater, you can try snorkeling, scuba diving, or riding glass-bottom boats. On land, you can explore different areas of a resort or schedule dinners by the seaside.
- HISTORICAL CHURCHES Central Luzon houses some of the oldest churches in the Philippines, making it a popular spot for pilgrims and tourists alike. One example is the Monasterio de Tarlac, which is a monastery at the top of Mount Resurrection that showcases a relic of the cross where Jesus Christ died. A colossal 30-foot statue of Jesus Christ also stands on top of the mountain, making it a popular destination, especially during the Holy Week.
- ANNUAL FESTIVALS The Panagbenga Festival in Baguio City is a celebration of the city’s floral crops showcased through huge floats and artistic displays. Crowds from across the country flock to Baguio City just for this event, which this year will be held on February 24. I’ve been there a couple of times and, despite the crowd, seeing all those colorful floats is certainly worth it.
With these suggestions, you’ll surely have a rich and worthwhile experience that will help inspire your success in the years to come. You might even meet some entrepreneurs that have partnered with Globe myBusiness, the micro-, small- and medium-enterprise arm of the telco giant that provides digital solutions to local entrepreneurs to help them grow their business. Follow Globe myBusiness’s Facebook Page and get to know the entrepreneurs they support.
1 comment
I think Tourism is an important sector for Philippine economy.