Tour operators launch ‘Fun Caravans’
MANILA, Philippines - In line with the “Visit the Philippines 2015” campaign of the Department of Tourism, the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) has launched “Islands Philippines Fun Caravans” featuring five major caravan programs and three minor caravans designed to promote, reestablish and reinforce tourism across selected regions.
PHILTOA is the largest association of registered tour operators, with allied members from various tourism sectors such as airlines, hotels, resorts, tourist transportation and more.
The five major caravans are: Cordillera Heritage Warrior Caravan which will encompass San Jose, Santa Fe, Lagawe, Banaue, Bontoc, Sagada and Baguio; the Southern Luzon Kulinarya that will involve the historical province of Cavite, Alaminos, San Pablo, Nagcarlan, Liliw and Majayjay in Laguna, Lucban, Tayabas and Sariaya in Quezon province and San Juan in Batangas; the Visayas Charm Caravan that will highlight Bohol, Cebu and Boracay; the Bicol Express for Naga, Legazpi, Sorsogon and Misibis; and the Plains and Heights of Central Luzon Caravan which will put the spotlight on Mt. Pinatubo, Tarlac, Baguio, Pangasinan and Subic.
On the other hand, the minor caravans are: Rediscover Batanes for the grandness of Batanes’ plateaus; the Northern Palawan Eco Adventure Discovery for the lush islands, pristine coastlines and cobalt waters of the Calamianes Group of Islands; and Hola, Zamboanga for the vibrant culture and diverse landscape of the province.
Each caravan is calendared in different months throughout 2015, lasting from 3 to 7 days, depending on the number of municipalities included.
The Quezon Provincial Capitol.commons.wikimedia.org
PHILTOA president Cesar Cruz said the project is designed to provide flexibility in the choices of activities and accommodations in each destination based on the interest and budget of the participants.
“The Island Philippines Fun Caravans will accommodate both foreign and local visitors, and they can choose to bring their own vehicles or use the caravan vehicle, of course, only if the destinations can be accessed via land transportation. The participants also have the option to avail of the accommodations that will be announced prior to the trip – campsite, lodging houses, hostels or star-rated properties,” said Cruz.
He adds that the caravans are meant to be interactive and participative, hence there will be programs that will encourage visitors to interact with and immerse themselves in the local communities.
In addition, participants in the caravans will be given “passports” which will be stamped by the participating local government unit they visit.
Visit Bohol’s Chocolate Hills. boholpackagetour.com
There will also be mini-trade fairs, a festive welcome reception and other community-based activities that will highlight the best spots and emerging lifestyle and travel trends in the municipalities included in the itinerary.
“As our tourism industry further shapes up through Visit the Philippines 2015, PHILTOA wanted to contribute through this caravan project, which aims to provide an effective platform for the promotion of different tourist destinations across the country,” said Cruz.
