MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Over 200 tourism merchants from across the country gathered for the inaugural Klook Partner Awards Philippines, a milestone event hosted by Asia’s leading experiences and travel services platform. The celebration highlighted the achievements of local industry partners and underscored Klook’s commitment to advancing domestic tourism.
“We’re very proud of the amazing progress we’ve made together with our partners in creating an even more vibrant tourism industry for the locals and the growing population of tourists from all over the world,” said Eric Gnock Fah, President and Co-Founder of Klook. He dedicated the event to Klook Philippines’ merchants, crediting them for the unforgettable memories the customers have made using the app. “This event was organized to celebrate the operators on the ground that deliver all these amazing experiences and services to travelers locally and around the world.”
Scaling the contributions of Klook’s merchants into solid data, Michelle Ho, General Manager for Klook Philippines, highlighted the company’s success and impact of the valuable partnerships formed thus far, “Thanks to our merchants, specifically our steady success in attractions and our growth in the hotels and mobility categories, Klook Philippines has become the number 1 most trusted travel app in the market, covering over 99 cities.”
Promising for both the travel platform and the country’s outlook, Ho shared that Klook remains bullish in its positioning and efforts to promote domestic tourism by building new networks and deeper partnerships. “Klook’s numbers and position in the industry tell us that our strategies are well-aligned with the market,” Ho expressed. “It’s a true indicator that the efforts we’ve launched and soon to kick off are steps toward a reinvigorated tourism landscape.”
“Your dedication, creativity, and commitment to excellence inspire us to keep moving forward in our mission to make the Philippines a globally competitive, sustainable, and meaningful tourism destination,” shared Sharlene Zabala-Batin, Assistant Secretary for Tourism Digitalization and Resource Generation of the Department of Tourism, thanking the merchants. Recognizing Klook’s efforts to further domestic tourism, “Thank you for being a steadfast partner of the department in innovation and collaboration – for creating opportunities that benefit our travelers and our communities.”
The awards spanned 16 categories, with 42 Filipino companies recognized for their outstanding contributions. Winners included:
- Enchanted Kingdom (Best of the Philippines – Attractions), with COO Cynthia Mamon highlighting a longstanding, mutually beneficial partnership with Klook.
- Henann Group of Resorts (Best of the Philippines – Hotels), where Group VP Karl Hendrik Chusuey stressed the role of innovation in sustaining industry leadership.
- Southwest Tours (Best of the Philippines – Mobility), whose President & CEO Cedric M. Sazon hailed the award as proof of revitalized domestic tourism.
- Hotel101 Group (Best of the Philippines – Hotels), with GM Charley Magabo crediting Klook for expanding its digital reach and strengthening seamless travel experiences.
Through its Philippine Partner Awards, Klook not only celebrated excellence but also reaffirmed its vision of bolstering the country’s domestic tourism sector, elevating local players, and positioning the Philippines as a globally competitive destination.
