Booking thru CP, next wave for PHL tourism

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    MALOLOS CITY – Air flights can be booked using cellular phones soon and travel agencies must make adjustments to address increased tourist demands, a tourism official said.

    However, tourism advocates advised Bulacan counterparts to improve facilities to avoid “bukid tourism” due to lack of comfort rooms.

    Ronnie Tiotuico, regional director of the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Central Luzon, told representatives of travel agencies in the province to prepare adapting new technological advances.

    “Very soon, pwede na mag-book ng air flight hotel accommodation through cellphones,” he said.

    “Ano gagawin ng mga travel agencies?” Tiotuico said that local travel agents must improve their technological capabilities to address new trends in booking travels for foreign and domestic tourists.

    He said that one of the advantages of mobile phone booking is that tourists do not have to go to banks.

    “Don’t be afraid, we can work on it and make adjustments, pag-usapan natin iyan ng mabuti,” Tiotuico said.

    He said that improvements in technology must not be seen as a threat, but opportunities for business.

    With regards to tourist arrivals in Central Luzon, Tiotuico said that Zambales is leading with over 530,000 tourists last year.

    In far second is Pampanga, followed by Tarlac, Bataan and on fifth place is Bulacan.

    He said that some of the factors affecting tourism in Bulacan is its proximity to Metro Manila and lack of standard hotel rooms for tourists.

    Tiotuico said that standard hotel rooms mean clean rooms with functional amenities like hot and cold showers and toilet flush.

    “Maraming resort sa Bulacan, but there is hardly a functional hotel room, at dapat ding i-improve ang service,” he said.

    With regards to foreign tourists, he said that hotels in the province must have telephone lines with International Direct Dialing (IDD) capabilities, and wifi access.

    Nilo Agustin, a DOT consultant, said that local tourism facilities must first consider improvements on comfort rooms to avoid “bukid tourism.”

    “First requirement ng tourist ay malinis na CR dahil kailangan nilang mag-refresh from long travel,” Agustin said.

    He said that unless there is a good comfort room in a tourist destination, no tourist will come back there again.

    “Kung walang CR, ano gagawin ng tourist?” he asked and started reciting a line from a folk song which says “sa bukid walang papel, ikiskis mo sa pilapil.”

    He said: “That’s bukid tourism and we don’t want that, so, we must improve to further attract tourists.”


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