₱1.9-M booking platform to shield Cebu tourists from scams

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu provincial government is developing a ₱1.9-million online booking platform aimed at linking tourists with accredited operators and reducing the risk of fraudulent transactions.

The project, being undertaken by the Provincial Tourism Office (PTO), will provide travelers with access to tour operators accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and recognized by local government units, amid concerns over online booking scams.

Provincial Tourism Office head Rowena Montecillo said the initiative is intended to direct tourists to legitimate service providers.

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“We are hoping na this will somehow resolve problems on scamming because it will only lead them to legitimate contact details,” Montecillo said.

Addressing online scams

According to Montecillo, the booking platform will be integrated into the official Provincial Tourism Office website, which is also being developed.

She said the system will be monitored by a dedicated administrative team and linked to a “mother” website managed by the provincial government.

Montecillo said the platform is being designed with safeguards intended to protect users from fraudulent transactions.

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The tourism official added that the system would also allow the provincial government to gather tourism-related data from bookings made through the platform.

Among the data to be gathered are tourists’ nationalities, number of guests, length of stay, and booking success rates.

“We have so many requirements because we also get the data of the tourists from there,” she said, adding that the system would comply with applicable privacy and security regulations.

Expansion planned

The provincial government is also planning to expand the platform by integrating booking systems used by local government units and private tourism stakeholders.

Montecillo said destinations that already manage their own tourism programs, including Oslob, would be invited to participate.

The province is likewise seeking partnerships with hotels, restaurants, and other tourism-related establishments.

“We are asking our supplier nga i-open na siya for anybody who would want to join basta legitimate lang,” she said.

Pilot areas identified

The booking system will initially be piloted in five southern Cebu towns — Alegria, Samboan, Ginatilan, Oslob, and Malabuyoc — which are among the province’s major tourism destinations.

According to the Provincial Tourism Office, the project remains in its first phase.

An initial presentation to tour operators was scheduled this week, while consultations with hotels and local government units are also set to be conducted as part of the platform’s development.

The Provincial Tourism Office aims to complete the consultation process by the start of the fourth quarter of the year.

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