Subic offers summer tourism packages

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The tourism department of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has announced new tourism packages under its newly launched tourism tagline "Nature, Fun and More."

Venancio Triguero II, the SBMA’s new tourism manager, said the new "exciting and affordable" tour packages were designed to suit every Subic visitor.

"This is a very exciting time for us here, for the first time in years, we are finally offering packages that will cater to everyone. Now, everyone who comes to Subic can really make the most of their stay here," he told The STAR.

The summer tour packages include day tours, which offer tourists discounted rates in all recreational facilities; family, corporate and "Gimmick Barkada" overnight packages inclusive of overnight stay; and a tour of different facilities in the Subic Freeport.

For the more adventurous, Triguero said the SBMA is offering a "Nature Adventure" package for treks and visits to scenic spots in the Freeport.

As a show of support for the SBMA tourism program, some ecotourism establishments in Subic are now offering as much as 15 percent discounts for facilities as well as free breakfast for a standard overnight accommodation of P1,200 per person.

Meanwhile, the Subic day tour is priced at P800 per person, while the Subic overnight package ranges from P899 to P1,999 per person, inclusive of accommodation and day tour.

Triguero said the special packages were conceptualized during a recent "tourism branding" seminar where tourism stakeholders and employees thought of ways to make Subic click as a premier tourist destination.

Earlier, SBMA administrator and chief executive officer Armand Arreza announced that the Subic Bay International Airport has reduced its aeronautical fees by as much as 80 percent on weekdays to encourage more airlines to bring in more tourists to Subic.

The weekend rates, on the other hand, are now down by 60 percent, Arreza added.