Cruise travel packages: Emerging Pinoy favorite

CEBU, Philippines - More and more Filipinos are now traveling in style, and cruising is the fast growing travel package availed by average Pinoy families and group of friends, a Cebu-based travel specialist said.

Stephanie Villahermosa, managing director of Divaishnavi International inc., said that aside from Filipino travelers' staples like Hong Kong, Singapore, among others, overseas cruising packages has become an emerging favorite among Filipino travelers, a good indication that travel spending is already part of their important budget allocations.

Villahermosa said that the entry of more direct flights from Cebu to other destinations like Australia, Middle East, Taipei, among others encouraged overseas travel priorities even for ordinary wage earners.

Used to be availed of only by the wealthy Filipino families and individuals, cruising packages along the Caribbean seas, and other destinations have become popular among mainstream travelers, said Villahermosa.

Traveling in style, including "Cruising Escapades", and other luxury packages have made its entry to the greater spectrum of Filipino market, either they made efforts to save or simply more and more Filipinos now can afford to travel without squeezing their budgets.

While Japan, which is also known as an expensive destination, already become a byword for Filipino travelers, cruising packages is coming in too fast in terms of bookings, added Villahermosa.

As disposable income increases and the cost of travel becomes more affordable, traveling is no longer an indulgence of the affluent, a study released by Nielsen's Global survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending.

According to Nielsen's survey close to one third of Filipinos or 30 percent are spending their spare cash on travel and vacations.

Behind this upturn is the Philippines’ burgeoning middle class, where six out of 10 travelled locally at least once in the previous year, while 40 percent travelled on more than one occasion. (FREEMAN)