PAL prioritizes Cebu in int'l tourism promo efforts

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Airlines (PAL) said that Cebu remains on top of its list of local destinations that the flag carrier is prioritizing in its international roadshows to boost tourist arrivals in the country.

In a press briefing, PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said the airline is “100-percent committed” to sell Cebu in its 26 international destinations including selected points in its domestic network.

To jumpstart its intensified tourist promotion campaign, PAL flew in eight candidates of the Miss Earth Pageant to visit and document some of Cebu’s best tourist attractions. The group’s photos and videos will be featured in PAL’s promo materials for distribution abroad, particularly the United States, Canada and Asia.

PAL flies eight times a day between Manila and Cebu using mostly wide-body jets like the Boeing 777ER, B747-400 and the Airbus A330. The flag carrier also flies directly from Cebu to Narita, Japan six times weekly and thrice a week to Incheon, South Korea. Effective Dec. 2, flights to Incheon will double to six times weekly.

“Cebu continues to enjoy positive load factors despite the recent tsunami in Japan and other natural calamities. In fact, even during the height of PAL’s spin off/outsourcing program, flights to Cebu were largely unaffected with load factors of more than 80 percent,” said Glenn Vallecera, PAL AVP-Visayas sales.

In coordination with the Department of Tourism, PAL’s intensified tourism promotion campaign comes on the heels of PAL’s restoration of flights and frequencies to pre-outsourcing levels.

Starting today, all PAL flights depart from and arrive at its exclusive hub at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2. Prior to Oct. 1, the effectivity date of PAL’s outsourcing program, some flights were temporarily housed at NAIA Terminal 3 to decongest the Centennial Terminal.

Two days ago, PAL also resumed full in-flight meal service after a brief interruption caused by the transition to third party service providers and the protest camp of former PAL workers at the airline’s Inflight Center in Pasay City.

PAL’s cargo operations on both domestic and international flights also returned to former levels.

PAL used to mount 45-50 domestic and 80 international flights daily. Starting today, daily domestic flights will average 50 to 60 while international will remain at 80, for average daily flights of 140.

Following its outsourcing program on Oct. 1 that led to the separation of more than 2,300 workers, PAL had to reduce domestic flights by 30 percent, while international flights were down 12 percent.