DAVAO CITY—This city has everything going for it in competing as a world-class tourist destination for women, particularly Japan’s “joshi tabi” or female traveler market, the Department of Tourism said on Thursday.
That’s why Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo has ordered the creation of the Department’s Mindanao Office and tasked DoT Assistant Secretary Eden David, who will head the office, and Tourist Attaché to Tokyo Gwen Batoon to organize joshi tabi tour packages right away.
Japan is the Philippines’ fourth-biggest source of inbound tourists, with more than 360,000 arrivals as of the second quarter of 2016 according to DoT data.
In 2015, Japanese arrivals to the country counted more than 490,000, generating 9.25 percent of the total market share.
David said Davao will bank on its lush greenery, rich biodiversity, pristine beaches, exotic gourmet food, and amenities for wellness services in putting together these all-female Japanese tour packages.
The success of a familiarization tour held here last week, participated in by least 12 major Japanese travel executives and bloggers, was a good sign for DoT’s joshi tabi program, Batoon added.
“Davao City’s soothing tranquility, oneness with nature, isolated beaches, Class-A wellness services—particularly massage and beauty care—and the native cuisine may prove to be irresistible attractions to Japanese women,” she added.
The tour group, which included three Tokyo-based women executives, particularly enjoyed the visit to the Malagos Garden Resort, where they mingled with exotic birds.
At the Pearl Farm Beach Resort in nearby Samal Island—a known honeymooners’ paradise—the Japanese visitors pampered themselves with gourmet and massage services, Batoon added.
Women travelers are an important travel segment, the tourist attaché said, citing a 2016 Japan Tourism Marketing Co. study that says 60 percent of women make travel decisions by themselves.
Joshi tabi are likely to come to the Philippines for its multi-gateway destination, providing easy access to both urban and natural attractions, and the Filipino’s uniquely warm hospitality, Batoon said.
“It seems more reasonable for Japanese travelers in general to fly low-cost carriers to the Philippines and stay here in a luxury hotel with luxury amenities,” she added.
Batoon said the Philippines has largely been undiscovered by the Japanese to date, with the country’s over 7,000 islands and the increasing number of high-end shopping malls, resorts and spas in the country offering numerous possibilities.