Travel platform Klook Philippines announced that it will push for additional initiatives to facilitate more domestic travel in the country this year to promote local tourism.
Klook said this push is in line with their years-long initiatives to strengthen the country's tourism outlook.
“The Philippines is home to some of the most desirable destinations in the region, and we’d like to play a bigger role in encouraging more Filipinos to discover joy within our home country,” said Klook Philippines and Thailand General Manager Michelle Ho.
To achieve this, the company is aiming to enhance its staycation offerings in big and small accommodations in the country.
In addition, it is also looking to develop domestic businesses to expand its merchant base and offerings by summer this fall year.
“We also hope to empower more local businesses and tour operators by giving them the opportunity to increase the exposure of and expand the markets for their tourism products and services through our platform,” added Ho.
Based on Klook's survey covering April 2023 to mid-February 2024, around 92 percent of respondents said they already have plans to travel domestically this year, compared to the 76 percent who have planned international trips.
Top local destinations in this period include Baguio, Boracay, Batangas, Palawan, and Tagaytay, while overseas travel was booked to Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and Japan.
Domestic flights and accommodations were commonly booked at the same time two to six months in advance. A budget range of P15,000 to P30,000 is also prepared by the majority of respondents for a four to six day trip.
Aside from local tourism, Klook also said that it will venture further into music and sports tourism, citing the overflow of travel bookings to Singapore for fans attending the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concerts just this month. It is also looking at leveraging the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris and World Expo Osaka in 2025 to create and bundle enticing deals for travelers.
Overall, bookings in Klook tripled in 2023, growing four times in revenue between 2022 to 2023, and increasing average basket size by 21 percent.
Popular activities booked were Hong Kong Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, Universal Studios Japan, and Universal Studios Singapore. Many also availed of transport passes such as Japan Rail Passes and local attractions like the Manila Ocean Park.
“2023 was definitely a great year for tourism recovery, and this growth mirrors a collective yearning to explore and gain new experiences. We’re happy to see that Filipinos have fully embraced the joy of traveling again, and we’re honored to be a partner in making their dream vacations a reality,” shared Ho.