MANILA — I love researching for trips; so much so I totally geek out at the prospect of planning another getaway. I check out everything, from blogs to listicles, from government and company sites to user reviews to good, old-fashioned brochures. I love poring over and highlighting maps. The same goes for producing drafts of day-to-day itineraries and expense projections.
With the advent of piso sales, it’s easy to impulsively buy a ticket to whatever destination is on sale, and mapping out the game plan afterwards. Plane tickets booked six months before travel date, check. Itinerary drafts three months closer to travel date, check. Two months in, I start checking hotels, hostels and other forms of accommodation. A month in, I book and finalize everything.
Everything is online now. Trip planning can be DIY, and it’s so much more fun because of it.
These days, I’m happily researching for a trip to Japan with two fellow Sillimanians. They were able to book Cebu Pacific promo fares from Cebu to Narita (Tokyo), and it will be their first time in Japan. The funny thing is, they booked for a trip for February, probably the coldest month in Japan. Their main consideration? Chinese New Year holidays. Oh how I love promo fares and the unexpected adventures they can bring.
Since I had been to Japan before, I decided to just join them for the skiing leg of their itinerary, which will be in Kyoto. And since I’ll be going via Osaka, I’ll get two extra days to roam around the city after skiing — on my own. That’s the first time that will ever happen, so I’m quite ecstatic and diving into travel geek mode.
From brochures from past Osaka trips, I was able to earmark areas I want to explore further. Japan’s English brochures are quite extensive, usually involving cartoons too for the full kawaii vibe. For a non-English speaking country, I’d have to give kudos to their tourism board. There are a lot of special packages just for foreign tourists, such as train passes that not only give discounts on the train, but also on the city’s attractions.
After I had a shortlist, I went online to check reviews on those attractions. Once the activities were finalized, I went through train maps, so I could lump attractions close together in one day. Their train system is very extensive and convenient. Meanwhile, their train lines’ websites has route calculators that could show me how long a trip could take and how much it would cost.
It was so easy for me, a possible solo foreign traveller, to find out everything I needed before I left for their country. From the main Osaka Tourism site, there are links to cycle tours, volunteer guides and guidebook downloads. There’s a site explaining the local kuidaore culture–that Osakan gusto when it comes to food, literally translated “to eat oneself bankrupt.” (I won’t expect anything less from the kitchen of Japan.) Shopping streets like Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori are mapped out, so I know which shops to hit first. It’s all relevant content for me.
I even stared at my phone in wonder when I saw they had Wi-Fi all over the main tourist areas, and there’s a campaign for visitors to log in to the Wi-Fi hotspots from various shops to get discounts. Wi-Fi, just what a backpacker needs. Thank you Japan, the land of thorough planning and efficiency.
I guess what I’m leading at here is our own efficiencies when it comes to tourism. Don’t get me wrong — the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign highlights the best things about our country. I like the Tourism Promotions Board’s thrust to move promotions online, where the people are, and where it can be the most effective. The information we make available though, is just a bit disjointed, and some or most of it is not online and linked to each other from a one-stop portal.
Locally, I depend on blogs and listicles, which may or may not be updated. There was a time when I had to resort to old-fashioned phone calls to find out the ferry schedule to Siquijor, and another when I ended up surprised at the bus station on my way to Canlaon (apparently, aircon buses from Bacolod only leave at a particular hour). I’m just wondering if it’s easy for foreign tourists to plan out their Philippine itineraries too, even if they haven’t set foot in the country yet. If it’s not, I’m wondering how much more our tourism industry can grow once it does.
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Author’s email: michdeguzman@gmail.com
