A new travel agency in Cagayan de Oro says they’re ready to accommodate the multitudes of foreign tourists expected to visit the Philippines amid the recent launch of a government-led tourism initiative. It’s Aera Global Travel Services, a value-for-money travel agency in CDO that specializes in quick and efficient airline ticketing, hotel booking and tour services.
Department of Tourism’s Bring Home A Friend (BHAF) program aims to tap the network of overseas Filipinos to invite their foreign friends to visit the Philippines. Incidentally, BHAF was introduced originally in 1994 and ran until 1997 but it has now been relaunched under the Duterte administration.
“We’re very upbeat about this program since this is a great way for local businesses like ours to shine. Our kababayans can refer their foreign friends to travel agencies like ours and we will make sure that their friends have the best memories in tourist-favorite areas like Boracay, Bohol, Palawan and of course, Cagayan de Oro,” said Agnes Pabayo Lumbay, proprietor of new CDO travel agency Aera Global Travel Services.
“There are lots of Kagay-anons living abroad and we know how Filipinos love to recommend tourist spots to their foreign friends. That’s our spirit of Bayanihan and sense of hospitality at play,” Lumbay said, adding that Northern Mindanao alone has so much to offer.
So far this year, foreign arrivals have reached 3.93 million.
According to published reports, a 2016 DOT survey accordingly stated that 51.80 percent of tourists visit the country upon recommendations from friends. There are also 9.1 million Filipinos living abroad in areas like the U.S., Japan, China, Italy, Australia, and Malaysia.
In an effort to entice Filipinos to join the BHAF program, there will be raffle draws. Among the prizes to be raffled off to Filipino sponsors are a brand new condominium, a car as well as Php 200,000 gift certificate redeemable at Duty-Free Philippines. Meanwhile, the foreign tourists will also have the chance to win prizes including round-trip international flight tickets.
Based in Cagayan de Oro, Aera Global Travel Agency CDO can be reached via telephone numbers: 0917 525 5564 or 0942 027 5999. For inquiries, you may email aeraglobal@gmail.com. They’re also on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.