THE September Online Sale (SOS) has generated P29.23 million in gross sales after hotels and resorts which participated in the month-long online travel fair sold over 5,000 travel vouchers, the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) Philippines has announced.

It said the event increased voucher sales by 194 percent and gross sales likewise shoot up by almost 101 percent, from last year’s P14.5 million to this year’s P29.23 million.

Thus, the SOS organizer said the pandemic-borne online travel deals fair has now become something Filipinos look forward to.

These figures also demonstrate Filipinos’ continued support for local travel and tourism, as the industry starts to get back on its feet, HSMA President Benjie Martinez said.

The majority of buyers are from Quezon City, Manila, and Cebu, the HSMA noted.

In Luzon, most of these travelers are planning to go on short road trips, with hotels and resorts from the Batangas, Cavite, Tagaytay, and Laguna cluster selling the highest number of vouchers at 32 percent; Boracay/Iloilo, 23 percent; Manila/Pasay/Parañaque, 14 percent; Clark/Bataan/Ilocos/Banaue, 12 percent; Cebu/Bohol, 9 percent; Palawan/Davao, 5 percent; Makati/BGC/Alabang, 3 percent; and Ortigas/Pasig/Quezon City, 2 percent.

Eighty hotels and resorts across the country participated in this year’s SOS and gave away deals and discounts for as much as 70 percent off.

According to Martinez, five of their Top 20 bestselling properties are located in Boracay.

“We at the HSMA would like to send our deepest appreciation to all the SOS participants for all their support and involvement in our second sale,” says Martinez. “Their compelling and creative promos attracted more buyers, and the overwhelming results inspire us to do even better in all the projects that we are planning for in the future.”

This year’s SOS was in partnership with the Department of Tourism, the Tourism Promotions Board, Atlantis, Isentia, and Cebu Pacific, with the ultimate goal of improving the situation of over five million tourism workers whose jobs and income have been greatly affected by the pandemic.

“By boosting domestic tourism income, we can be one of the main drivers of economic recovery,” Martinez says.

Despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic, HSMA pressed on with a myriad of trademark events in 2020 such as the 6th Virtus Awards and the inaugural SOS to restore domestic tourism confidence and stimulate demand.

The HSMA continues to be a trailblazer in the tourism industry through the leadership of Board Chair Margie Munsayac (Bluewater Resorts), President Benjie Martinez (The Bayleaf Hotels), Vice President Loleth So, Secretary Amie Villena (The Bellevue Hotels and Resorts), Treasurer Desiree Rose de Guzman (Astoria Hotels and Resorts), Director for Public Relations Carmela Bocanegra (Chroma Hospitality), Director for Membership Tet Romualdo (The Linden Suites), Director for Programs Michael Albaña (Conrad Manila), Director for Ways & Means Lynette Ermac (Megaworld Hotels and Resorts), and Director for Education Joanne Golong Gomez (Hilton Manila Hotel).