MANILA – The newly-launched Travel Philippines web application will keep tourists updated on the status of destinations that recently reopened, providing them one digital stop when planning leisure trips under the "new normal".
The easy-to-use platform allows users to create itineraries, find up-to-date information on their favorite tourist attractions, and securely store digital copies of travel documents. It can be accessed at https;//app.philippines.travel/.
“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,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said in a virtual conference on Friday.
“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,” she added
The Department of Tourism (DOT) and its marketing arm Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) developed the application in partnership with inclusion tech venture builder HIMO Global Inc.
At the launch, Travel Philippines featured six major tourist destinations -- Palawan, Boracay, Bohol, Baguio, Ilocos Norte, and Metro Manila. The app will be regularly updated with the latest information on these six locations as well as 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 their local tourism offices.
Users can bookmark any of the locations they read about within the platform and plan out their trips based on their preferences. They can also upload into their personal Travel Philippines account digital copies of pertinent documents such as boarding passes, hotel reservations, and medical certificates.
Winston Damarillo, president of HIMO Global Inc. and CEO of Talino Venture Labs, assured that the application is secured and that users' privacy would be protected.
"All the data that you'll put in the app will only be on your phone. It won't be stored in a server that can be hacked anywhere else and your data could only be transmitted if you wanted to," he said.
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.
Romulo-Puyat, meanwhile, is hopeful that both domestic and international tourists would find the platform useful in their future trips.
“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,” she said. (PNA)
