The Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines on Friday launched the country’s first travel app.
The Travel Philippines app provides users access to the latest travel advisories and safety guidelines in various destinations that have reopened to tourism.
The easy-to-use platform allows users to create itineraries for future trips, find up-to-date information on favorite tourist attractions and securely store digital copies of travel documents.
“As we continue to reopen the country’s tourism destinations, Travel Philippines timely serves as every tourist’s official guide to safe and fun travel. With the ever-changing needs and challenges in travel brought about by the pandemic, Travel Philippines will help both domestic and international tourists have safer and more memorable travel experiences amid our ‘new normal’,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.
The DOT and TPB developed Travel Philippines in partnership with tech venture builder HIMO Global Inc.
The app is an extensive database of various destinations and attractions that are reopening after the COVID-19 community quarantines. At launch, Travel Philippines features six major tourist destinations: Palawan, Boracay, Bohol, Baguio, Ilocos Norte and Metro Manila.
It will be regularly updated with the latest information on six locations and will be expanded to cover more travel destinations around the Philippines. On top of the basic travel information about these destinations, Travel Philippines will also contain the latest health and safety protocols being implemented within these locations, sourced directly from the local tourism offices.
Travel Philippines features a built-in itinerary maker that integrates with its extensive catalogue of tourist attractions, local restaurants, and accommodation establishments. Users can bookmark any of the locations they read about within the platform and plan out their trips based on their preferences.
Tourists can also upload into their personal Travel Philippines account, digital copies of pertinent documents such as boarding passes, hotel reservations and medical certificates.
Through its encrypted platform, the app will offer users a go-to folder for all of their documents and forms, which they will be able to access even if their device does not have an Internet connection.
“Travel Philippines marks DOT’s continued push to breathe new life into the severely affected tourism industry by promoting safe and responsible travel. We look forward to seeing both domestic and international tourists use Travel Philippines in their future trips,” Puyat said.