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Tag: Agoda

  • Japan Emerges as Top Lunar New Year Destination for Pinoy Travelers, Agoda Reveals 

    Aside from Japan, Filipinos are also visiting other short-haul flight destinations with Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, and Singapore rounding out the top five choices. The preferred international cities for Pinoy travelers include Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Osaka, and Singapore.

    Japan Emerges as Top Lunar New Year Destination for Pinoy Travelers Agoda Reveals

    Looking at which travelers will be visiting the Philippines during Lunar New Year, Agoda’s booking data highlights South Korea, China, United States, Japan, and Singapore as top inbound markets. The ranking showcases the diversity of tourists that the country continues to attract. The five most popular destinations visited within the Philippines are Manila, Cebu, and beach hotspots Boracay, Bohol, and Palawan. 

    Although officially celebrated on Saturday, February 10, 2024, the Lunar New Year holiday is extended to a long weekend in many markets across Asia and week-long celebrations for China, Japan (Spring Holiday) and Vietnam (Tet). The holiday, also referred to as Chinese New Year, is traditionally one of the peak travel moments for tourists from mainland China. For the first time since 2019, China is back in contention, ranking third source market overall and securing a spot in the top-five inbound lists for Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

    Enric Casals, Associate Vice President Southeast Asia at Agoda, commented, “The Lunar New Year period is a significant time for travel, and this year is no different. Since 2019, hotels and destinations have diversified the appeal of their markets with visa-free travel and other incentives. That has made them less reliant on one market and more appealing to new travelers. But the travel industry will no doubt be looking forward to welcoming back more travelers from China this year.”

    Regionally, the trends echo a similar sentiment. The most outbound travelers hail from markets like South Korea, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, and Japan. The most visited markets by these international tourists include Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, showcasing a wide array of cultural and leisure options. Cities like Bangkok, Tokyo, Seoul, and Osaka remain appealing, underscoring the region’s rich urban and cultural diversity.

    Agoda’s platform, offering over 3.9 million holiday properties, flights, and activities, is ideally positioned to cater to these evolving travel preferences, providing seamless experiences for those celebrating the Lunar New Year, whether within Thailand or across the region.

  • Agoda uses ChatGPT to serenade Valentine’s Day hotspots

    The Philippine capital joins Tokyo, Bangkok, and Singapore among this year’s most popular Valentine’s Day getaways in Asia, according to Agoda. To pay homage to these and other romantic hotspots in the top 14 searched destinations, Agoda commissioned AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT to compose unique poems. 

    Agoda uses ChatGPT to serenade Valentines Day hotspots

    For the Pearl of the Orient, ChatGPT’s love note reads:

    Manila, city of contrasts, where the old and new coexist. A place of beauty and diversity, where the heart of the Philippines persists

    Being the hot new thing, recently introduced chatbot ChatGPT already has millions falling in love with its capabilities. When asked by Agoda to channel its inner artificial intelligence-Shakespeare the chatbot composed lines like ‘From Pad Thai to Tom Yum Goong, Bangkok’s food is a taste that lingers on’ (Bangkok, Thailand), ‘With every visit, I’m captured whole, in this gem of India, I find my goal’ (Goa, India), and ‘Mount Fuji in the distance, a sight to behold. Tokyo, a city that never gets old’ (Tokyo, Japan).

    Using ChatGPT to compose poetry may be a gimmick, but the artificial intelligence technology powering the chatbot is beyond promising, said Omri Morgenshtern, Chief Executive Officer of Agoda: “We’re all about hassle-free travel at Agoda and a technological leap like this has a lot of potential to further enhance the booking experience on digital travel platforms. We’ll be paying close attention as Agoda is already among the frontrunners exploring how technology can be applied in a practical way to help make travel more accessible to all.” 

    Lovebirds in the Asia Pacific are opting to spend time together in energetic cosmopolitan cities this Valentine’s Day, with eight of the top ten destinations being city-based trips. Other destinations where Cupid’s arrow meets its target include beach destinations like Bali, Goa, Da Nang, and Dubai. For each destination, Agoda asked ChatGPT to pay tribute in the form of a poem, which has then in some cases been translated by the chatbot to the destination’s local language. 

    Sweet Serenades for the top 14

     1.     Tokyo
    ‘Mount Fuji in the distance, a sight to behold. Tokyo, a city that never gets old’

    2.     Bangkok
    ‘From Pad Thai to Tom Yum Goong, Bangkok’s food is a taste that lingers on’

    3.     Singapore
    ‘The Gardens by the Bay, a wonderland. A nature’s beauty, so close at hand’

    4.     Bali
    ‘The beaches are a tropical paradise, with waves that gently roll. A place to find true serenity, and leave the world’s woes a whole’

    5.     Hong Kong
    ‘With dragon dances, dimsum delight, it’s a place of endless wonder and might’

    6.     Taipei
    ‘Temples ancient, yet revered with care. A glimpse of Taiwan’s rich cultural flair’

    7.     Seoul
    ‘A place where the past and present cower. A city that’s forever in the hour’

    8.     Manila
    ‘Manila, city of contrasts, where the old and new coexist. A place of beauty and diversity, where the heart of the Philippines persists’

    9.     Kuala Lumpur
    ‘Kuala Lumpur, a city of pride. A destination, always worldwide’

    10.   Goa
    ‘With every visit, I’m captured whole, in this gem of India, I find my goal’

    11.  Dubai
    ‘With sun-kissed sands and waters so blue, it’s the perfect place for me and you’

    12.  Macau
    ‘From ruins of St. Paul’s to casinos bright, its rich history, on every street in sight’

    13.  Da Nang
    ‘Da Nang, city of the sea. Where sun and sand meet endlessly’

    14. London

    ‘We’ll take a stroll through Hyde Park’s green, and create memories that will always be seen’ 

  • Agoda unveils a price freeze feature that will warm bargain hunters’ hearts

    While winter is settling in over the Northern Hemisphere, it’s freezing even in more tropical climes this year as Agoda introduces its new ‘Price Freeze’ feature. Price Freeze allows travelers to lock in the best deals on Agoda, pay a marginal deposit, and freeze the price from at least one day to up to 14 days.

    “Asia has re-opened, and the world is back traveling, yet people still want to know that they are getting the best possible deals, and that’s what Agoda always strives to ensure”, said Omri Morgenshtern, CEO of Agoda. “There are times when consumers aren’t ready to fully commit to their purchase and need time to decide, but we don’t think that should mean they miss out on the best deals. By introducing price freeze technology to the Agoda platform we are able to offer travellers even greater flexibility, choice and best prices.”

    Price Freeze truly warms the hearts of bargain hunters as even though throughout the ‘price freeze’ period, accommodation costs may go up or down, consumers won’t pay any more than the agreed deal and in fact will enjoy additional savings should the price drop. If travelers choose not to book within the specified price freeze period, only their initial deposit is forfeited.

    To mark the launch of this price freezing feature, available on desktop and mobile web at launch, and available globally and on all Agoda platforms in early 2023, Agoda has created a specially created augmented reality game on Instagram.  The goal is to catch as many freezing items as possible (snowflakes, ice lollies, ice cubes) and avoid the hot items (tea, flames) to achieve the highest score. The game is available here instagram.com/ar/2382038961943203/ or by scanning the QR code.

  • Check out these great Father’s Day gifts with exclusive discounts from Maya 

    All set for Father’s Day weekend? If you haven’t quite decided on how to celebrate yet, all-in-one money app, Maya, offers great gift ideas which will make the man of your home feel extra special. What makes it even better is that they come with Tipid Hits and Feel-Good Deals exclusively for Maya users. 

    Maya Fathers Day

    Whether it’s a staycation, office gear, or a food favorite, you can be sure that your dad will truly appreciate any of these thoughtful gifts—some of which can also be enjoyed by the rest of the family. 

    Family vacation 

    Dads work hard for the family so a staycation in a nice hotel or resort will give them that much-needed break from the daily grind.  

    Agoda

    If you book through Agoda between June 15 to July 14, 2022, you can get PHP 260.00 off for a minimum spend of PHP 3,000.00. Just make sure to pay with your Maya mobile number and use the promo code MAYA260JUN. The stay period is from June 15, 2022 to June 30, 2023, giving you a lot of time to plan the trip.

    A Lake View Family Suite in Splendido-Lily Vacation, Tagaytay averages for around PHP 3,500.00 per night— now less PHP 260.00 with Agoda and Maya! 

    Office support seat 

    For dads who spend most of their days sitting in front of their computers, BackJoy posture seats would be perfect for them. Its well-designed structure, pressure-relieving foam, and soft fabric promote comfortable sitting, back pain relief, and proper posture throughout the day.  

    Backjoy

    From March 15 to June 30, 2022, you can get 15% off on any two regular-priced items and 5% off on marked-down items, no discount cap if you simply pay with Maya QR.  

    You can purchase a Posture Core Sit which currently retails for PHP 3,647.00, marked down from PHP 4,290.00 – for your dad and yourself!  

    Masculine bag 

    If you’re looking to splurge on your dad as a special treat on Father’s Day, why not let him work or travel in style? Tumi offers world-class business and travel products such as luggage, backpacks, bags, briefcases, and more.  

    Tumi

    From March 15 to June 30, 2022, you can get 15% off on any two regular-priced items and 5% off on marked-down items with no discount cap if you simply pay with Maya QR.  

    The Just In Case® backpack (PHP 7,990.00) and the Packable Rain Cover (PHP 5,990.00) can cumulatively go from PHP 13,980.00 all the way down to PHP 11,883.00, allowing a huge 15% worth of savings!  

    Pizza party 

    When it comes to a fun family bonding sesh, you can’t go wrong with the classic Pizza Hut. From June 1 to July 31, 2022, you can get 30% off on the Regular or Large a la carte Pan Pizzas and Stuffed Crust Pizzas (cheese stuffed and sausage stuffed).  

    Pizza Hut 1

    The promo is available for dine-in, take-out, and delivery via 8911-1111 when you scan to pay with Maya QR. Try out the 12-inch Cheese Pimiento Stuffed Crust Pizza—from PHP 729.00, you can get it for less at only PHP 510.30! 

    Self-care products 

    Yes, dads need to invest in their self-care too. The Body Shop offers a range of quality products for men from facial cleanser (Guarana and Coffee Energizing Cleanser, PHP 556.00) to shaving cream (Maca Root and Aloe Softening Shaving Cream, PHP 556.00) to perfume (White Musk for Men Eau de Toilette, PHP 1,516.00).  

    The Body Shop

    From June 1 to 30, 2022, you can get your dad a free 60ml Tea Tree toner for every minimum spend of PHP 1,000.00, which you pay with Maya QR code in stores! 

    Choose any of these products to warm your dad’s heart and to give you the rewards you deserve only with Maya. For more information, promos, and updates from the country’s all-in-one money app, visit maya.ph and follow Maya on Facebook.