Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most genuine role models of his time. The legacy he carved in the history of humanity continues to inspire me in reaching my potentials and ambitions. His noble works contributed greatly in determining what I really wanted to fulfill and being certain of what was really meant for me.
Looking back, I was satisfied with what I have achieved so far. But I should be doing more. And I mean, I should be doing much more profound works and be an inspiration to others in my plain simple way. I cannot imagine how I managed my almost 20 years of career history and being privileged to have been attached to some notable sectors. From Banking & Finance (13 lovely & fruitful years) to Business Consulting (3 years) to NGO (3 years) and now to the Travel & Tourism sector – a real, definite passion. My forte and skill in business development was honed completely.
Why Travel & Tourism? How did the inclination blossomed?
Since young, I have always been a travel dreamer. Now in my mid-age, it bothered me to have only completed less than a quarter of global travel to date. I was a permanent resident based in Singapore for 6 years when the thought and feeling blossomed. One fine day in October 2013, reality has struck me and I can no longer imagine holding back time without an inch of journey. Now I must make sure that I get up there, tag my husband along and stretch our wings and feet to explore this amazing earth.
Born, bred and educated in Manila, I was blessed with the opportunity of visiting most of the beautiful islands in the Philippines. Thanks to my 13 lovely years of career in a government bank. I had the sweetest periods of being assigned with the Project Management Department where my job required me to go on official trips to the different provinces of the Philippines. I was part of a team who undertook the development of a potable water system to targeted local government units nationwide. From the less to the most visited places of my splendid country, I have seen most and have learned much.
From then on, my impression of my own country shifted to 360 degrees from the redundancy of a city life to an impressively laid back, meaningful suburban/rural life after witnessing such naturally magnificent gifts bestowed by the Almighty to this Pearl of the Orient Seas.
Yet, most are still unexplored and underrated. Having said this, I could not contain leaving unspoken words and feelings all my life. Therefore it’s worthwhile to get my words and actions reach a broader global audience.
Hence, Jitrrie Travel and Tours was born on 19 December 2013 based in Manila, Philippines. My husband and I are happily managing it with a lot of exciting opportunities going on. Six months later, on the eve of my birthday (7 June 2014), I launched this travel guide with the primary focus of highlighting the most splendid but unexplored beauty of The Philippines. And this is my own version of “A Beautiful Life”.
The Promising Truth about Travel & Tourism in The Philippines
Had it not been about political and economic concerns, the Philippines will likewise be hailed as one of the richest and most visited places in the world.
Before returning to Manila, I occupied myself with reading and verifying facts about the current industry state of travel and tourism in the Philippines. I was overwhelmed to learn the rising statistics of tourism growth in my country accompanied by optimistic reviews which are way beyond the knowledge and impressions that I am used to. With that spur of the moment, I knew I am being lead and guided to the right path.
Based on the comparison findings conducted by the Department of Tourism (DOT) in the Philippines covering the months of January to April, The Philippines received an increasing growth rate in international arrivals from 2010 to 2014. In 2010, the country welcomed a total of 1,153,198 international visitors equating to a 10.14% growth from the same months in 2009. The year 2011 showed the highest record peak with 13.33% growth equivalent to 1,306,944 international arrivals. It was followed by continuing impressive growth rates of 14.61% (1,497,851), 10.12% (1,649,458) and 2.85% (1,696,537) for 2012, 2013 and as of April 2014, respectively.
Since the start of 2014, the South Korean market topped the highest record of international visitors in the Philippines contributing 22.06% share to the total inbound traffic. It is likewise interesting to note the growing number of Korean business establishments in almost all parts of the Philippines. They have been very instrumental in building up a steady economic stability in our country providing employments for the locals (particularly those who needed it most) and boosting our tourism sector.
And so did the other international markets belonging to the Top 5 Visitor Markets which contributed a significant volume of arrivals: The USA (15.74% share), China (9.91% share), Japan (9.16% share) and Australia (4.72% share). Completing the Top 10 Visitor Markets and their respective volume of arrivals include: Singapore (59,241), Canada (56,571), UK (50,205), Taiwan (45,125) and Malaysia (41,942).
Emerging markets such as Norway, UAE, New Zealand, Italy and Netherlands contributed fairly to the arrival markets in the Philippines for the month of April 2014.
Indeed, the DOT’s simple yet convincing slogan “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” launched in January 2012, proved an increased and even more increasing tourism growth influenced by both foreign and local tourists. I commend the effectivity of this slogan as it gained immediate awareness about the beautiful and bountiful holiday destinations in the Philippines, particularly the underrated ones. Being a travel agent and firm advocate of the Philippines as a global tourism destination, I am one of the biggest supporter and promoter of this slogan.
If you wish to get further latest reviews and statistics on the state of tourism industry in the Philippines, you may refer to the government portal of the Department of Tourism here.
The flight frequency to the popular holiday destinations in the Philippines increased proportionally with the speedy expansion of international and domestic routes operated by a handful of low cost carriers. In recent years, popular international low cost carriers including Tiger Airways, Silk Air, Jetstar Asia, Air Asia Zest and our very own Cebu Pacific offered new flight routes to the Philippines outside Manila such as Cebu, Iloilo, Clark, Davao, Laoag, among others. This enabled more foreign and local tourists to explore The Philippine islands much better as well as travel in and out of the Philippines. It is such a remarkable growth in the history of Philippine Tourism Industry. Air Asia Zest is now becoming my personal favorite. I’ll discuss more of it on my next post.
The demand for “Budget Travel and Luxury Tourism” also fueled growth from the year 2012 as most middle to upper class travelers now prefer to travel on cheaper rates. As a result popular luxury hotels including Fairmont and Raffles opened their first branch in the Philippines to cater for the middle and upper class tourists both foreign and local who are opting for budget leisure and accommodation yet luxury service. The positive paranoid effect of this is the launching of international budget hotels in the Philippines with more outlets. A good example is the popular budget hotel chain named Tune Hotels which opened 3 more branches in the Philippines in 2012 rounding up to a total of 9 branches in the country.
The Plan Unfolded
Undoubtedly, I wanted to take advantage and have a share of the pie which makes up that fast rising development of tourism industry in my country. Not forgetting that it is high time now to leverage on my real passion.
When I started travelling overseas, I’ve learned to appreciate my country even more. I knew I can also enjoy all travel pleasures the most in the Philippines – its bountiful and preserved natural resources, the greenery pastures, the marvelous mountains & hills, the purity & freshness of the oceans, rivers & falls, the hardworking & obedient farm animals and exotic inhabitants (both in land and in sea), the sincerity, warmth & cordiality of the rural folks, among many others. Reminds me always of the Greatness of the One Almighty God. Surely, all countries possess these features but you would also agree with me that how each country offers such features in its unique ways is what’s worth the discovery.
You may find me weird when I say that I never intend to become rich and famous when I decided to put up my own travel agency business. My ultimate goal is to make a difference with the way I boast and showcase the richness of my country. As a Filipino, it will be very rewarding for me. Because when my time on earth has passed, I believe God will ask me how did others and the environment benefitted from the talents He has blessed me with which I was accountable for enriching and imparting. And this is what Mahatma Gandhi emphasized on his famous quote I mentioned at the beginning of this article.
I cordially the global community to explore the innate, unique, and natural beauty my country possesses and help me raise tourism awareness in the hidden gems of The Philippines.
May this travel guide serves as a triggering point to all travel fanatics and other stakeholders around the globe in appreciating the Philippines as one of world’s must-see holiday destinations.
I would be happy to exchange constructive thoughts with you and delighted if my travel agency can serve your choice of travel destinations to the Philippines as well as your other travel needs.
I am grateful to the Linkedin network team for selecting and granting me this opportunity to share my professional experiences and personal insights in the world of travel and tourism.
To everyone, more power and may you discover much more fun in the Philippines !!!