The document discusses tourism statistics and travel tips. It notes that Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Thailand received significantly more tourist arrivals and receipts than the Philippines in 2015. It also lists the top countries of origin for tourists to the Philippines in 2015. The document then provides tips for planning trips, budgeting, documenting travels, and cutting costs. These include considering destinations and activities, season, transportation options like RORO buses, multi-destination trips, and using a blog to document travels. Information on a cheap trip to Nepal and details on visiting Bhutan are also included.

1. Bienvenido “Nonoy” Oplas, Jr.
http://travelpinoy.blogspot.com/
With Hersheys PH globetrotters
April 25, 2017, Makati City

2. Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), UNWTO Tourism Highlights, 2016 Edition.
http://mkt.unwto.org/publication/unwto-tourism-highlights-2016-edition
 SG has 2x, MY and HK have 4x, TH has 5x, than PH arrivals in 2015

3. Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), UNWTO Tourism Highlights, 2016 Edition.
http://mkt.unwto.org/publication/unwto-tourism-highlights-2016-edition
 SG has 3x, MY has 3x, HK has 6x, TH has 8x, than PH receipts in 2015

4. Source: http://www.e-
unwto.org/doi/abs/10.5555/unwto
tfb0608011220112015201606
Out of 5.36 M arrivals in 2015, the
bulk came from: (1) S. Korea 1.34 M,
(2) USA 0.78 M, (3) Japan 050 M, and
(4) China 0.49 M.

5. Questions that I can answer…
1. How to plan your trips?
What to consider in creating your itinerary?
2. How do you budget your trips?
What are your travel essentials (as an individual, as a dad)?
3. What is the cheapest trip you took?
4. How to cut travel costs
5. How do you document your trips?
Questions I am unsure how to answer 
1. How to score cheap tickets online? Do trade fairs work?
2. How do you know you’re getting a good deal for
accommodations?
3. What is your unusual travel hack?
4. Are travel agencies practical than DIY booking? Any
suggestions?

6. 1. How to plan your trips?
What to consider in creating your itinerary?
a. Define what you want to see – white sand beach, big
swimming pools, cool hotels, skyscrapers, mountains,
waterfalls, snow, desert, churches, temples,… or ALL? 
b. Your budget and time – air travel or land/sea travel; fancy
hotels or modest ones or friends/clan can host you; few
days or 1 week or more…
c. Season – expensive during Christmas, Holy Week, long
weekends, fiesta in destination city/province; cheaper
otherwise; cheapest during the rainy/wet months (July-
September esp.) but also higher chance of flight/travel
delays if not cancellations due to storms, flooding.
And of course -- your travel buddy/ies should not spoil
your day.

7. 2. How do you budget your trips?
What are your travel essentials (as indiv. as a dad)?
(a) Have multi-purpose travel: visit my family in Neg. Occ., then hop to
other interesting resorts nearby. Last Dec., brought my family to
Lakawon island resort in Cadiz. Last Feb, visited my father in a hospital
in Sagay, brought my family to Bonista resort in Escalante.

8. (b) Be invited in foreign/international conferences as speaker or
reactor or writer, all expenses paid. Then plan a swing trips
nearby before flying back home.
(Sorry, this does not answer your query about tips in haggling
for cheap airfares…)
A suggestion – explore more of
Central and North Luzon for
interesting resorts because of the
ease of travel via NLEX-SCTEX-
TPLEX.
When TPLEX is finished up to
Rosario, La Union, one can travel
from QC to Baguio in about 3 ½
hours. More time to explore, less
time on the roads.

9. 3. What is the cheapest trip you took?
Nepal, January 2015. And not even cheap, it was free, for 1 week.
Route: Manila – HK – Kathmandu,
Cathay then Dragon Air.
Visa upon arrival, easy.
Kathmandu, before the big
earthquake in April 2015.

10. Kathmandu to Pokhara
Yeti Air, 30 mins ride along the Himalayas.
Stayed at Shangrila Pokhara.

11. 4. How to cut travel costs?
Beyond traditional vs budget
airline, or flying peak season
vs off season --
Try RORO (roll on, roll off)
bus-boat

12. Example: Going to Boracay – choices among airlines, among RORO
shipping lines. From Batangas:
1. Direct to
Caticlan via 2GO
boat, daily 9pm
arrive 7am. Fare
aircon tourist
P1,150/head.
2. RORO or fast
craft to
Calapan, Or.
Mindoro. Then
bus or van to
Roxas port, then
RORO to
Caticlan, total
around 12
hours.

13. If on 3-days travel, plan 2-3 destinations that
are proximate, max time.
Traffic going to and out of NAIA, check in,
flight delays (going in or out) sometimes more
time-consuming than the actual flights.
5. How do you document your trips?
a. Mainly via http://travelpinoy.blogspot.com/
b. Via fb Notes…

14. Bhutan, interested?
Went there Nov. 2015 to attend a conf. Stayed at Taj Tashi Hotel.
Tourists shd prepare $250/day (hotel, transpo, guide)