Every friend group has that one person. The one who compares flight prices at 2 AM, builds the itinerary, books the airport transfers, reminds everyone to check in online, and somehow still ends up hearing, “Bahala ka na!” or “Kahit saan okay lang ako.”
According to Klook’s latest survey of 2,725 travelers across 10 markets, travel planning is one of the least appreciated tasks in a travel group, and resonates for many Filipino barkadas. Being the group’s unofficial travel manager means practically taking on a whole separate full-time job… minus the salary.
THE THANKLESS TASK
Among everyday favors people do for others, from carrying heavy bags to opening doors, travel planning ranked as the #1 least-thanked task for Filipinos.
Many people believe that organizing a week-long group trip can take just a few hours. In reality, the majority of Filipino respondents shared that they can actually spend more than 10 hours organizing a single trip. Some can even take up to 40 hours, managing group chats, coordinating schedules, all while staring at their screens for hours on end.
This may sound a little too familiar for the designated planner in the barkada. For Klook Kreator Maki Santos, planning a trip to Bali with her high school best friends meant handling everything from flights and hotels to transport and activities while making sure everyone’s budget was considered.
“I shared the itinerary with everyone beforehand, and they all kept saying, ‘Bahala ka na.’ So I thought, ‘Okay, game!’ Until the trip actually happened. I was so excited to experience Bali’s nightlife. It was literally part of the itinerary. Pero habang pauwi kami sa hotel para magbihis, bigla nilang sinabi na ayaw na raw nilang lumabas and they’d rather stay in.” Safe to say, Maki’s carefully planned itinerary didn’t exactly go according to plan.
Looking back, Maki says the experience taught her that even the closest of friends can have completely different travel styles. Despite the change of plans, she was luckily still able to have a fun night out in Bali.
AN ACTUAL JOB
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Being the designated planner isn’t just about booking hotels or scoring the cheapest flights. It also means taking on the role of the group’s accountant, customer service hotline, calendar manager, maps navigator, emergency contact, and unofficial therapist whenever tensions run high.
Based on Klook’s survey, the biggest source of stress for Filipino planners is managing human logistics. The top stressors include managing everyone’s budget (57.6%), coordinating schedules (51.9%), and dealing with last-minute changes (43%).
On top of that, nearly two-thirds of respondents cite that one of their biggest responsibilities is making decisions that minimize group conflicts and keeping everyone happy throughout the trip.
While everyone else is relaxing, the planner is still on duty. More than 4 in 10 Filipino planners check their phones six or more times a day during the trip to manage bookings, directions, and logistics.
This rings true for Klook Kreator Maine Ybiernas, who has had to manage trips for friends with varying travel personas. “Those who go ‘Book mo na, mabilis maubos!’ …only to disappear from the group chat for weeks. Then when everything’s sold out they’ll message: ‘Maine… wala na. Anong gagawin ko?’ to those who ask, ‘Saan tayo pupunta today?’ even though the complete itinerary with PDF pa has been sitting in the group chat the whole time,” she shares.
THE COST OF THE JOB
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While many travelers outsource decision-making with an “I’m happy with anything”, it is the planner who carries the responsibility that comes with finalizing decisions. More than twice as many planners say they get blamed vs. non-planners admit to blaming them.
The top three complaints are: “That’s out of my budget.” (58.2%), “Why didn’t we do this instead?” (55.7%), and “I could’ve planned this better.” (54.4%).
For Klook Kreator Jax Reyes, that’s exactly why planning a trip starts with setting expectations and not just choosing a destination.
“Even if you’re traveling with your closest friends, iba-iba pa rin talaga kayo ng travel style,” Jax shares. “May gustong mag-splurge sa five-star hotel, may okay na sa budget stay basta mas maraming budget for food and activities. Meron ding thrill-seeker, meron namang ayaw ng extreme activities. Walang tama o mali, kailangan lang talaga pag-usapan bago mag-book.”
His solution is to start with everyone’s travel wishlist first. “Ano ba talaga ang non-negotiables ng bawat isa? Saan gusto pumunta? Ano ang budget? What kind of hotel is everyone comfortable with? Kapag aligned na lahat from the start, mas madali nang mag-compromise.”
Managing expectations and budgets not only allows for a more seamless trip later on, but also makes the job of the travel planner much easier (and drama-free). “Travel planning shouldn’t feel like a chore,” he says. “Everyone can help even by simply sharing their wishlist or being clear about what they want from the trip. It makes everything so much easier for the planner.”
HOW CAN WE PAY THEM BACK?
Planners keep planning because someone has to turn “Tara, alis tayo!” into “remember when we went to…?”
Some 72.2% of Filipino planners say the trip only makes it out of the group chat because of them, while 75.3% of survey respondents believe the group would not travel as well without a planner.
After spending hours coordinating schedules, managing budgets (and egos), solving problems before anyone notices them, and taking the blame when things go wrong, it is perhaps no surprise that more than 8 in 10 Filipino travel planners believe they deserve more recognition for everything they do.
So maybe it’s finally time to give that friend a proper “Thank you” for all their hard work, or better yet, try planning the next trip for them instead. Taking some time to look into activities or accommodations, or even just supporting their interest checks in the group chat, would definitely go a long way. After all, the goal is always to make sure that everyone has a great time (and to remain friends even after the trip!).
Book unforgettable travel experiences and plan your next barkada outing today through the Klook app available on Google Play Store or the Apple Store. For travel tips and things to add to your next itinerary, follow Klook on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
