Tony Fernandes optimistic on local tourism

Capital A chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes is willing to hasten the local tourism industry’s recovery and attract more foreign investments to the Philippines.

The AirAsia owner said more customers are switching from more expensive to less expensive products and doing shorter trips as a result of flying across the Pacific.

In the Philippines, connectivity has always been essential for meeting domestic requirements and facilitating travel within the region.

Through AirAsia’s centers in Manila and Cebu, the Philippines initially developed linkages with a number of Asian nations, including Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and Malaysia.

In order to draw more tourists to places like Cebu, Bacolod and Palawan, there are plans to improve connectivity, according to Fernandes.

He added that they’re seeing a huge pent-up demand for travel, which gives him a huge amount of confidence. He thinks that their strength is that they are also very strong in secondary and tertiary cities and in providing connectivity, so that is adding growth.

Fernandes added that Air Asia, the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline, would keep offering a competitive rate while generating more traffic and opening up additional destinations.

He shared that the Philippines can attract nine million tourists a year, comparing it to Thailand, another popular destination. The establishment of more locations with airport infrastructure and other necessary infrastructure to get to the airport, however, is something that the public and private sectors could support.

The World’s Best Low-Cost Airline would keep offering a competitive rate while generating more traffic and opening up additional destinations.