Road trips top choice for Filipinos itching to travel
Tagaytay, Subic, Clark and Baguio among Top 10 places visited, as beach destinations take a back seat
Over the past year, there has been a shift in preference for road trip-friendly destinations near the National Capital Region (NCR), according to booking data from digital travel platform Agoda.
Agoda.com looked into how Filipino travel preferences have changed over the past two years. Based on booking data, the preferred domestic destinations shifted toward destinations that can be reached via land travel from major cities and have become a popular choice for Filipinos itching to travel even in the face of flight restrictions.
While Manila and Cebu remain to be the top booked locations since 2019, road trip staples such as Tagaytay came third from its previous ninth ranking. Tagaytay is known as an ideal spot to unwind for many metro dwellers, where they can get the best of cozy weather, good food, and relaxing landscapes rolled into one.
Data also revealed that many popular beach destinations have taken a back seat this year in terms of preference. These include Boracay, which was pushed to the sixth spot, and Palawan at 14th from their previous third and fourth respective ranking.
Surfing spots like La Union and Siargao are also out of the Top 20, while lesser-known destinations such as Bataan, Dagupan and Tarlac have become more popular as people took short road trips to quench their travel desires.
Meanwhile, Biñan, Bulacan, Antipolo, Cavite and Pampanga were destinations with the largest jump in rankings.
Being short drives from NCR, these destinations easily provide a break from home life through their wide offering of attractions, like Hinulugang Taktak in Antipolo or Tibagan Falls in Biñan, top hiking spot Mt. Pico de Loro in Cavite, the pristine Puning Hot Springs in Pampanga, or the historical Biak na Bato National Park in Bulacan.
Interestingly, destinations in certain regions have also taken a spot in the Top 10 list for 2021. These include Subic and Cagayan de Oro. Bohol, meanwhile, fell from the Top 10, but remains on the Top 15 list.