Trevolution Group, the fourth-largest airline ticket consolidator in the US, has reported new travel trends emerging among Filipino travelers this year ranging from go-to vacation destinations and most popular travel periods to the average costs spent on flights.
This data is gathered from airfare sales of Filipino travelers within the Trevolution Group’s network of travel brands, which includes International Travel Network, ASAP Tickets, Skylux Travel, Dreamport, and Oojo, among others.
The Group’s recent data shows that more Filipinos now tend to plan their annual vacations in June and July. This is in comparison to previous years where April and May were the peak travel months for both short haul and long-haul flights, owing to the academic breaks during those months.
Back in 2021, most educational institutions in the Philippines officially started shifting the start of the summer break to June to align their calendars with those of global institutions and the summer season of May through August. That has also had a direct impact on the annual travel periods among Filipinos.
Filipinos More Conscious of Travel Costs
With the post-pandemic travel surge ending, travel dynamics have gradually shifted, affecting people’s choices when going abroad from the most popular travel destinations and trip types to the average spending and advance booking period.
As Trevolution Group’s latest sales data suggests, due to the rising travel costs and ongoing global inflation, Filipino travelers have become more conscious of their travel spending. As a result, the costs dedicated to purchasing flights have decreased by 19% in May and June of 2024 compared to the same travel period last year. At present, Filipinos pay an average of $764 per flight in economy class, based on the fact that summer months are among the priciest travel periods of the year.
However, the total number of flights departing from all major airports across the Philippines during these two months exceeds pre-pandemic airfare bookings by over two times, also reaching a significant 49% increase from the same period last year.
Increase in Advanced Bookings
According to the recent travel patterns, Filipinos take vacation planning seriously. As a matter of fact, in 60% of the cases travelers book their long-haul international trips at least one to three months in advance now that the industry has recovered from the pandemic, reaching a more stable and predictable pace.
While back in 2022, only 18% of all global summer season flights were purchased over three months in advance, this year’s summer sales data indicate a 25% increase for May and June alone.
With more travelers regaining travel confidence and choosing to be more spontaneous with their vacation plans, the share of one-way tickets has also shown an almost 50% jump from 2023, while return tickets account for around one-third of all flights sold throughout May and June this year.
Outdoor Trips with the Family
As most Philippine educational institutions are still sticking to the updated academic calendar with school breaks ending in September instead of June, this summer is an especially active period for Filipino families spending time together while traveling.
As the Group’s data suggests, in 2024 more local holidaymakers choose foreign destinations that are closer to home or prefer to travel domestically showing almost a threefold increase in flights taken across the country compared to the summer of 2023.
Family-friendly destinations and extended weekend trips are stealing the spotlight while simultaneously boosting the local tourism sector. This year, more Filipinos are prioritizing sightseeing and outdoor activities instead of the usual city breaks.
At the top of local travelers’ preferences for traveling abroad stand adjacent Southeast Asia (SEA), with Thailand and Singapore as the most popular summer vacation spots. The demand has surged over five times in May and June this year vs. the same travel months in 2023.
Meanwhile, East Asian neighbors Japan and Hong Kong emerge as the following destinations of choice this summer for Filipino travelers outside of SEA – also indicating over five times the increase from last year.
Likewise, on top of traditional leisure tourism, the growing visiting friends and relatives (VFR) segment is also reaching new volumes this summer with the US as the leading overseas destination. The demand from Filipinos visiting their family members located in North America (and vice versa) with the aim to spend quality time together while on a break has already shown a 22% jump.
The Philippines has historically been one of the leading locations for Trevolution Group in terms of sales volumes. Today, the growing demand for both domestic and international flights is strongly exceeding pre pandemic volumes, contributing to over 20% of the Group’s total flight sales, which indicates the market’s rapid recovery and further economic growth. Thus, the company predicts this positive pattern to continue during the global summer season and throughout the rest of the year.