The September Online Sale (SOS) returns this year with its biggest edition yet—an entire month dedicated to inviting travelers from across the Philippines to rediscover the nation’s striking destinations.
Bringing forth an array of irresistible offers from member-properties of the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) in Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, SOS 2023 boasts participation from 87 hotels and resorts, the largest number in the event’s four-year history. These offerings encompass discounted room stays, weekend retreats, rejuvenating spa experiences, and various recreational packages. Additionally, discounts extend to restaurants, meeting and conference packages, and special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries.
Now in its fourth edition, this sale guarantees a seamless, convenient, and gratifying shopping experience, according to Amie Villena, HSMA Vice President, Project Head of this year’s SOS, and Director of Sales and Marketing at the Four Points by Sheraton Palawan Puerto Princesa. Despite the easing of pandemic restrictions, Villena emphasizes the sustained demand for online travel sales like SOS. This demand arises from customers’ preference for a secure and hassle-free process when securing their next getaway.
Tet Romualdo, SOS Co-Project Head, HSMA Secretary, and General Manager of The Linden Suites in Ortigas Center, emphasizes the enduring significance of online shopping. Romualdo underscores the economical nature of online shopping, eliminating the need to navigate through traffic to attend events, while also noting a growing trend of travelers increasingly embracing digital platforms to arrange vacations.
Villena further adds that beyond convenience, SOS encourages customers to creatively combine various deals. She suggests the possibility of crafting unique itineraries by blending offers from different destinations like Cebu and Bohol, tailored to groups of friends or families.
Participating establishments in the SOS encompass a wide range of options, including Acacia Hotel Manila, Belmont Hotel Manila, Crimson Hotel Filinvest City Manila, and many more in the Alabang/Pasay/Parañaque vicinity. The list extends to various locations such as Boracay, Central Clark, North Luzon, Cebu, Bohol, Palawan, Leyte, Davao, Quezon City, Ortigas, and South Luzon.
A distinctive advantage of SOS vouchers is their indefinite validity, enabling Filipinos to plan long-term travel ventures, including both the Yuletide holidays and the summer season.
Loleth So, HSMA President and Area Director of Sales and Marketing for Savoy and Belmont Hotel Manila Megaworld Hotels and Resorts, highlights that the early planning of vacations enables domestic travelers to seize seat sales. This aspect aligns perfectly with SOS, making it a timely opportunity.
Born as a response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, SOS has blossomed into the Philippines’ most extensive online travel sale, underlines Margie Munsayac, HSMA Chair and Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Bluewater Resorts. The initiative has experienced consistent year-on-year growth of 10-15 percent. In 2020, the total revenue reached P14.1M, with 1,752 vouchers sold. The following year saw remarkable growth, with revenue of P29.6M and 5,164 vouchers sold. Last year, the revenue surged to P36.8M, equivalent to 5,854 vouchers.
While the Philippines’ travel and hospitality industry remains halfway to its pre-pandemic level, Munsayac affirms that SOS will persist in supporting all stakeholders along the path to recovery. Ultimately, SOS centers around cultivating partnerships and ensuring collective growth, emphasizes Munsayac.
The September Online Sale: Eat, Stay, Love, The Joys of Travel will be held from September 1 to 30, 2023. Vouchers can be purchased at www.HSMA.org.ph/SOS.
The event garners support from the Department of Tourism, the Tourism Promotions Board, Atlantis, and Isentia.
For additional information, please visit the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association website: hsma.org.ph/sos, or the HSMA Facebook page: @hsmaph.
