Book tours on new DOT website

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is offering travelers more ease in booking tour packages with its new website.

“Our new tourism website, philippines .travel, is a onestop shop for all your travel needs, which includes information on our beautiful destinations to help you plan and book your next trip,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette RomuloPuyat said.

The website, soft launched last week, currently features tour packages for 22 Philippine destinations offered by accredited tour operators.

Among the destinations currently featured on the website are Baguio, Batanes, Bohol, Boracay, Cebu, Ilocos, Iloilo, Manila, Palawan, Siargao, Aklan, Bacolod, Benguet, Capiz, Leyte, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Subic, Isabela, Puerto Princesa, Coron and El Nido.

Tourism Assistant Secretary Howard Uyking said that based on a study conducted by the DOT in 2016, booking sites are the most influential channels among travelers.

“And when we combined that with another insight that people are most comfortable when the booking site is from the government,” Uyking said.

While the website currently offers tour packages, accommodation options will be added in the next phases of the website.

Apart from the booking feature, the website also gives tourists information on the activities and sites offered.

For its new look, the re-designed website has three main tabs: See & Do; Where to Go and Events & Festival, which are based on unique travel behaviors.

The “See & Do” tab features six tourism products of the country, such as Dive, Nature, Sun and Beach, Adventure, Food and Hospitality, and Events and Culture. These products are also highlighted in ten large image-centric carousel banners.