Travel platform Klook expects strong tourism growth in the Philippines this year.
“Over the past couple of years, we’ve been ramping up on our efforts to help boost domestic tourism and in 2024, we plan to do this more aggressively. 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 general manager for the Philippines and Thailand Michelle Ho in a briefing Tuesday.
Klook’s “stay” offering is aligned with the traveling public’s preference for staycations and more accessible and affordable accommodations, Ho said.
Domestic tourism is more popular among Filipinos with 92 percent of the survey respondents already having plans to travel domestically in 2024, according to Klook Travel Pulse, a study conducted by the company based on survey results and data gathered from its platform.
The study showed that 76 percent of the respondents disclosed travel plans in 2024. Those who traveled in 2023 and early 2024 visited Tagaytay, Baguio, Batangas, Boracay and Palawan.
Klook’s findings also indicated the Filipinos’ preferences for having road trips with friend groups of three to six people.
Klook said it is also strengthening music and sports tourism to take advantage of some major global events like the Olympic Games 2024 to be held in Paris and the World Expo Osaka in 2025.
The app reported that in 2023, bookings tripled with the average basket size having increased by 21 percent.
“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,” Ho said.
Klook aims 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 within the platform.