Chinabank cashes in on Filipinos’ appetite for travel
Romeo Uyan Jr. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
Elevated prices of basic commodities have understandably made Filipinos more conscious about their spending. But for those with some means, this penny-pinching has not extended to travel.
Indeed, revenge travel after years of being cooped up in homes to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic remains in full swing.
In fact, seven out of 10 Filipinos plan to travel this year, according to the latest Southeast Asia Travel Insights 2023 report of GrabAds, the advertising firm of superapp Grab, and four of five intend to travel more than twice, primarily with their families, relatives and close friends.
Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan and South Korea are the top destinations in the region, while the United States ranked high on the list of countries farther afield that they want to visit.
Local travel is likewise robust with the Department of Tourism launching a number of marketing campaigns.
One such campaign focuses on wellness and regenerative tourism that targets wellness enthusiasts and health conscious consumers who just want to get out of the urban jungle for a mental and physical break.
All of these trends spell good news for Chinabank, which marked its 103rd anniversary with the launch of its latest credit card offerings—the Chinabank Destinations World Mastercard, the Chinabank Destinations World Dollar Mastercard, and the Chinabank Destinations Platinum Mastercard.
Chinabank Destinations Platinum Mastercard
Chinabank president and CEO Romeo Uyan Jr. says the time is right for the bank to “catch the public’s attention” by introducing travel-focused cards that promise more bang for their buck.
Plus, the travel cards are an expression of how Chinabank “adapts to the times” and “serves the people.”
Aloysius Alday Jr., Chinabank executive vice president and head of the consumer banking segment, adds: “Being a business that holds its customers close to heart, we took into account the needs of many travelers when planning out their trips. Recognizing this, we carefully mapped out a solution to ensure that all they have to think of is living their best life in the destination of their choice.”
“The Chinabank Destinations Mastercard is set to be why you can travel more,” he adds.
Uyan says Chinabank did an extensive competitive check to see what other banks were offering the travel-hungry public as part of efforts to offer the market something better.
Chinabank Destinations Mastercard cardholders, for example, could earn miles faster with a card spend to air mile conversion rate of as low as P30 for 1 air mile.
Also, each card is loaded with an array of features including an Accor Plus Explorer membership that grants exclusive benefits at 1,000 hotels and over 1,400 restaurants across 20 countries in Asia-Pacific, airport lounge access, a 24/7 concierge service and travel and inconvenience insurance coverage of up to P20 million, all guided by applicable terms and conditions.
