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Louella Desiderio - The Philippine Star
May 29, 2025 | 12:00am
SHANGHAI – Travel service provider Trip.com expects bookings from the Philippines to continue to post growth this year amid increasing demand.
Ru Yi, assistant vice president for International markets for Asia-Pacific at Trip.com Group, said in an interview on the sidelines of the Envision 2025 Global Conference that bookings made from the Philippines through the platform are expected to continue to grow this year amid rising demand for travel.
To better serve Filipino travelers, she said Trip.com is working to have a better understanding of their preferences.
Through this, she said, Trip.com could provide special offers or rates for hotels or services in areas Filipino travelers like to visit.
She said Hong Kong and Singapore are the top destinations being booked by Filipino travelers through Trip.com.
South Korea is also a popular destination for Filipino travelers.
As Trip.com expects bookings from the Philippines to grow, it also has a positive outlook on the increase of tourist arrivals into the country.
“It always starts with the flight. So when the flight has an increase of capacity, increase of seats, then definitely there is a growth of people coming into the country,” she said.
She said more active promotions on unique offerings in the Philippines are also expected to help attract more tourists.
“So through all those marketing campaigns, we can bring the traffic and drive more traffic into the country,” she said.
The company’s outlook on the Philippines aligns with the expectations for travel growth in the Asia-Pacific region this year.
Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex and founder of Travalyst, the not-for-profit coalition that seeks to promote sustainability in travel, said the Asia-Pacific is poised to reclaim its position as the world’s leading travel market this year, with 80 percent of travelers in the region planning to travel more this year.
The duke, who was the surprise guest for the conference, said the Asia-Pacific region could be a driving force in the future of sustainable tourism.
“Its travellers, as the top spenders in international tourism, wield significant influence. Their choices can drive sustainable, inclusive growth, ensuring that everyone benefits from tourism, especially local communities that often bear the cost of tourism, without always reaping the rewards,” he said.
He called on the global travel industry to act with urgency, work collectively and place community and sustainability at the heart of travel.
“Now is the moment for the industry to reaffirm its commitment to being a force for good... The true measure of our commitment is how we respond when the path becomes difficult. We must never give up,” he said.
