Luzon-based travel operators are joining forces with Visayas-based colleagues to fight against airlines web-based fare promotions, which they said have slowly eased them out of their business.

Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) president Ma. Paz Alberto said they will hold a meeting with the 160 travel tour companies of the Cebu Tours and Travel Association (CTTA) and jointly find ways of coping with common concerns in the travel and tourism industry.

“Travel agencies nationwide seem to be facing the same problems these days. The industry is evolving and travel agencies should bond together to keep our respective business viable,” Alberto said.

“Together with the CTTA and other associations nationwide that are aligned with the PTAA, we can present a common voice so that other players in the industry would finally listen to the plight of travel agencies,” Alberto said.

Alberto said the CTTA has already come forward to the PTAA with their problems on airline web fare promos and hotels that are going online.

It would be recalled the PTAA went up in arms over the web fare promos of both Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific (CEB). Although some sort of resolution was reached with the national carrier, talks with CEB remain at a standstill.

The CTTA said there are now hotels that are offering online promos for direct or corporate bookings which are priced the same as those being made available through travel agencies.

The CTTA is the biggest and oldest grouping of Cebu travel agencies and tour operators.

The PTAA has more than 500 members including leading tourism associations in Regions III, VII, and IX.