00:00The Hotel Sales and Marketing Association, or HSMA, announced the comeback of the September
00:12online sale, or SOS 2025, running from September 1 to 30, with nearly 100 hotels and resorts
00:19nationwide, offering discounts of up to 80% on stays, dining, and leisure packages.
00:25Now on its sixth year, SOS allows travelers to book online from home, with vouchers valid
00:31until 2026 to 2027.
00:34These packages include city staycations, Luzon getaways, an island escapes in Palawan, Boracay,
00:41Cebu, Bohol, and Davao.
00:44Supported by the Department of Tourism's Love the Philippines campaign, SOS has generated
00:48over 122.5 million pesos since 2020, and continues to boost domestic tourism while promoting world-class
00:57Philippine hospitality.
01:02And to tell us more about what travelers can expect this year, including the best deals,
01:07special packages, and why SOS is considered a game-changer for local tourism, we have with
01:13us here at the studio, Ms. Celeste Romualdo, HMSA, HSMA Director of Membership and Co-Project
01:18Lead for SOS, and General Manager of Linden Suites.
01:22Good evening, Ms. Tett, and welcome back to PTV News tonight.
01:24Nice to see you, Charm.
01:25Thank you for inviting us back here.
01:27It's always great to see, you know, the same faces to talk about really interesting topics.
01:31So today, we are talking about the September sale, the SOS sale.
01:35Can you first of all give us an overview of this year's September online sale, and why
01:41it is considered the country's biggest online travel fare?
01:45Okay, Hotel Sales and Marketing Association's September online sale is considered the biggest
01:50and most eagerly awaited online travel fare.
01:53So it's a month-long sale of hotel vouchers, where you can get up to 75% discount on rooms,
02:01dining, and leisure packages from participating hotel and resorts.
02:05So unlike the traditional travel fare, this is one you can book online, and you can purchase
02:12at the convenience of your own home, anytime, anywhere.
02:15Oh, that's great.
02:16So unlike the traditional travel fare, where you get stuck in traffic, you know, and you
02:21have to make these, you know, life or death decisions on the spot, you know, you can actually
02:25conveniently decide from the comfort of your own home.
02:29Right.
02:30What promo would this be, Ms. Ted?
02:32Actually, this is a month-long promo, which runs every September.
02:36So it actually started in 2020.
02:38This is the height of the pandemic.
02:40And this is our sixth year already.
02:42And it has become a trusted platform for value promotions annually.
02:50Okay.
02:51When you say promotions, what kind of discounts are we talking about?
02:54How significant are these discounts?
02:56And what sets SOS apart from other booking platforms, apart from it being online sale instead
03:02of a traditional one where you have to walk in the actual venue?
03:05Okay.
03:06Our travelers or our guests can enjoy a discounted promotion of up to 75% discounts.
03:12And it's also offering exclusive deals on different packages, on dining, spa, they use packages
03:21and more.
03:23And, you know, we ask our participating hotels to put forward their best deals so that, you
03:29know, buyers can really feel that they get the most value of these promotions.
03:34Yeah, you know, that's very interesting because travelers nowadays, we're becoming more savvy.
03:39You know, we're becoming more discerning about getting the most money, the most value for
03:43our money.
03:44So speaking of the packages you talked about, let's go beyond the discounts.
03:48What kind of packages can a traveler expect when we book on the sale, particularly families,
03:55couples, business travelers?
03:58Okay.
03:58Actually, September Online Sale offers different packages for all kinds of travelers.
04:04So, for instance, families can find packages bundled with experiences.
04:10Business traveler can find city packages.
04:15Like, for instance, in our passing cluster, the Linden Suites, my property offers deluxe room
04:21for only $2,800.
04:22That's 50% discount from the regular rate.
04:25And while pet parents can book a package with their pets, pet-friendly packages.
04:32And then we have also Muslim-friendly packages, for instance, in Boracay.
04:36So there's really a lot of offers that they can find now in September Online Sale.
04:42So it is also, I would say, curating the best experiences for the traveler, right?
04:48Not just discounted, but curating a great experience for us.
04:51Yes.
04:51Yeah.
04:52Definitely.
04:52Okay.
04:53Ms. Tett, how does SOS this year's fair align with the Department of Tourism's Love
05:00the Philippines campaign?
05:01Actually, we are very much in line with the Department of Tourism's Love the Philippines campaign
05:06because we also promote domestic tourism.
05:11We actually allow not only Filipino travelers but international travelers to enjoy the beauty
05:19of our country and also help sustain communities that will make this destination thrive.
05:26So it's not only helping the hotels and resorts, but also other stakeholders like tour operators,
05:32spa, transportation companies.
05:36So it's a really holistic approach, helping the entire tourism ecosystem.
05:42And, you know, I am so glad that domestic tourism has picked up considering, you know,
05:46the pandemic years has hit us really hard.
05:49I mean, we have world-class hospitality, a great culture, and unparalleled sites.
05:53Right.
05:53Actually, aside from the packages, we're also highlighting the warmth of the Filipino.
05:58And what we want to happen is that all travelers will leave that experience, will avail of those
06:05packages and have that experience where they truly can say they love the Philippines.
06:10Wow.
06:10That's great.
06:11I'm excited.
06:12Based on the past five years, though, which destinations or offers have consistently drawn
06:18the most interest or sales from travelers?
06:21You know, it varies every year because each destination has something you need to offer,
06:27like even if it's a city or a resort setting.
06:30So every year, sometimes there are years where in the city promotions really lead the way.
06:37Sometimes it's a resort promotion.
06:39So I would say I think all destinations are selling.
06:43But of course, I mean, last year, top promotions are in the islands of Monacay, and also South
06:51Luzon were leading also.
06:54Okay.
06:54You mentioned earlier how important it is to boost local tourism because it not only impacts
07:00domestic travel, but also, hand in hand, it also contributes to sustaining the hotel and
07:06I would say adjacent industry surrounding it.
07:08But more specifically, how would you say it impacts that?
07:12Well, over the years, for five years, okay, we were able to generate already around $122 million
07:20in revenue.
07:21So that's additional cash flow in the hotel.
07:25It's additional fund that, you know, we can use in the operation to sustain the business.
07:29And it also helped not only the hotel owners, but also the employees and the businesses around it.
07:36And last year, we had also a huge revenue amounting to $24 million.
07:41So that's more than 5,000 vouchers sold, which really helped the properties.
07:47Okay.
07:47The most important question I'm sure everybody is dying to know in this interview.
07:51For everybody who wants to take advantage of this year's offers, how does one join the sale?
07:58What is the platform?
07:59And how do we secure our bookings?
08:00Okay.
08:01It's very easy.
08:03By September 1, these vouchers will be up.
08:07So all they have to do is to log on to our website, www.hsma.org.ph.sos.
08:13And then they can see the different classes, different destinations, where they can book,
08:18they can purchase the vouchers.
08:20It's like add to cart and then check out.
08:22And they will get the vouchers, which they can use for future booking.
08:26I mean, they can buy the voucher now and then decide later on when they will use that voucher.
08:31Most of the vouchers are valid until 2027.
08:34So there's no rush to book.
08:35At least they have a discounted rate right now.
08:38Perfect for the season.
08:40As Christmas season is approaching, they can use it as a gift as well.
08:44Wow, that's great.
08:44So you're saying we can buy these vouchers in advance and then decide which dates we'd
08:50like to use them for since it's available all the way until 2027.
08:53Wow, that's great.
08:54I'm looking forward to be very busy this coming September 1st, considering I'm sure everybody's
09:00dying to get the best deals, right?
09:02Yeah.
09:03All right.
09:03So for our viewers right now, also interested to join all the way, it's a month-long process.
09:09Please do invite our viewers across the world to join the SOS sale.
09:13Once again, we would like to invite all the travelers here to avail of our value for money
09:19promotions.
09:20So our September online sale 2025 will run from September 1 to September 30, where you can
09:26find different promotions from different properties from Luzon up to Mindanao.
09:32And we want you to encourage to buy the vouchers as early as possible because these are subject
09:38to, limited vouchers, subject to availability.
09:41So see you soon.
09:43Yes, I'm very excited.
09:44We not only have the convenience and ease of the platform, but also a great variety to
09:49choose from.
09:50Yes.
09:50Many thanks, Ms. Tefframwalda.
09:51Thank you very much, Charles.
09:52Thank you so much for gracing us with your presence.
09:54And for the support.
09:55Thank you very much.
09:57And have a great evening.
