QUEZON CITY, (PIA) – The Department of Tourism is set to launch the pilot run of the  ‘Philippine Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) Travel By the Hubs’ tourism project on Sunday, May 28, in the cities of Makati and Manila. 

The HOHO Travel By the Hubs is one of the tourism recovery initiatives of the DOT which will primarily seek to highlight the major tourist destinations within the 6 local government units (LGUs) of Metro Manila. 

Led and initiated by the DOT-National Capital Region (NCR), the HOHO bus tours offer a seamless travel experience to local group travelers as well as frequent individual travelers (FITs) who wish to leisurely explore various tourism hubs in a single connected trip. 

“This landmark project addresses the Department’s three-pronged agenda that pursues ‘connectivity, convenience and e-quality’ under the administration of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, and is geared to position the NCR as a destination that will provide tourists with a world-class tour program featuring different sites and attractions in Metro Manila,” said DOT-NCR Regional Director Sharlene Z. Batin. 

The initial routes of the travel bus were classified according to the tourism product offerings that are unique to the identity of cities. While Manila has been categorized as a ‘cultural hub’ for its collection of historic sites, the city of Makati is dubbed as the ‘business hub’ for being home to many of the country’s commercial centers. 

On the other hand, Taguig City (Fort Bonifacio) is classified as the ‘lifestyle hub,’ Quezon City (Katipunan) as the ‘mind hub,’ Pasig City (Ortigas) as the ‘heart hub,’ and Pasay/Parañaque as the ‘entertainment hub.’ 

The HOHO Travel By the Hubs bus tours are available Wednesdays to Fridays,  from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm, with five bus trips that will approximately run for 1.5 hours per a single tour. 

Meanwhile, the travel bus tour will have its own mobile application that tourists are required to download before they can book a guided or do-it-yourself (DIY) tour. The HOHO app will also allow tourists to check the schedule of the bus tours. 

The HOHO travel bus tours is the first of its kind in the country.   

It is co-presented by the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines (TBP) and made possible by the official project integrator and technology partner of the DOT, Positive Exposure. (PIA-NCR)