Luxury travel firm’s visit seen to lure more visitors

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu-Bohol corridor has started to attract luxury travelers following the recent visit of luxury travel company — Abercrombie & Kent.

According to Department of Tourism (DOT-7) regional director Rowena Montecillo, the recent visit of 55 guests from the travel company was the first luxury group to visit the Philippines and the first private jet tour by the company in the country.

Cebu and Bohol corridor was chosen as part of the group's 26-day world tour across 10 countries, said Montecillo.

The group's visit in Cebu and Bohol opens opportunity for the Philippines to be known in the international luxury travel market, specifically Cebu and Bohol, Montecillo projected.

The Philippines has been eyeing to capture the luxury travel market because they are high-spending market.

Headed by its founder and chairman, Geoffrey Kent, the group stayed for three nights in Cebu and a countryside day trip in Bohol, showcasing the chocolates hills, serenaded by world's famous Loboc Children's Choir.

Abercrombie & Kent embarked on a chartered flight to Bohol via Philippine Airlines. They also rented choppers to facilitate aerial tours of Chocolate Hills, she added.

"These are the type of guests who does luxury travel. They value so much their time that they opt not to travel by land," Montecillo explained adding that the Cebu-Bohol tour was handled by Sharp Travel Agency.

Guests of Abercrombie & Kent normally pay at least $200,000 to join the world tour, Montecillo said.

Abercrombie & Kent is the world's foremost luxury travel company since 1962.

Originally, Abercrombie & Kent was founded to provide travel to Africa. But now the travel company has expanded with numerous destinations such as Antarctica, Arctic, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Middle East, Europe, India, Latin America, and North America.  (FREEMAN)