HEALTH issues posed by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) almost dampened the participation of the travel stakeholders in the recent travel sale event.
During the launch of the 11th Davao Mega Travel Sale on Saturday, February 15, Davao Travel Agencies Associations (DTAA) head Day Uyking said airlines and travel agencies initially had reservations in participating in the promotional event.
"Heavy gyud ang concerns sa mga agents, foot traffic basi wala kaayoy mag gawas or mag anhi because of health issues (The agents are concerned with foot traffic. They are worried that only few people will go out because of health issues)," she said.
However, she said DTAA was able to convince the travel agencies and expressed collective confidence that the effect of the Covid-19 will not last long.
"It is a big concern pero they settled with pushing through kay short term lang man gud ang Covid. We do not see it pushing through for the next two years or three years," she said.
Having owned a travel agency, Uyking said she experienced cancellation of bookings from some local travelers bound for Singapore, China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
"Naa koy going to Singapore (I have a booking bound for Singapore) which is safe but they opted not to go. There are cancellations because of the Covid, especially Hong Kong and Macau which can be visited easily," she said.
"We are foreseeing and hoping nga maybe at the middle of this year, ma okay na siya so we can always push for those travels nga for the second half of the year," she said.
She said groups or families book travels normally months or years after the Davao Mega Travel Sale DTAA holds annually.
"It is not necessarily onsite sales but sometimes it is really marketing for a long-term working relationship with new clients. You can say of gathering new clients pud," she said.