Tourist Center Boracay

COMPANY PROFILE

Formation
The first Tourist Center was launched in 1994 in a strategic position at the center of one of the best beaches in the world: Boracay Island. Tourist Center is a corporation composed of German and Filipino partners who saw an opportunity in the generally poor infrastructure within the island of Boracay.

TCC’s Chairman Mr. Maximilian Oppacher founded its operation after he and his friends, formerly backpacker tourists in Boracay, personally experienced the difficulties of having no access to tourist related services.  The company was thus aimed at providing the growing needs for the increasing number of tourists who frequent the island.

Established when communications within the Philippines were difficult, the company saw an opportunity to provide the basic services that tourists need such as postal, telecom & fax services; foreign exchange; safety deposit boxes; booking island accommodation, domestic and international flights.  These services became instant hits, not only with tourists, but with the local community as well.  A year after the launch a Fuji film developing center was added together with a souvenir & boutique shop and a grocery store selling specially imported goods to further expand its provision of service.

Development and Expansion
The company has come a long way in the years since these humble beginnings. It is now popularly called The Tourist Center (TCC) and has expanded to become fully operational in Boracay, Makati, Sabang, Bohol and Angeles.  TCC Is manned by professional and experienced staff and provides extensive services to tourists, local establishments, and the corresponding communities.

Also, the accommodation and air ticketing department has grown to become a company in its own right; The Filipino Travel Center (FTC) which is now the biggest wholesaler and reseller of domestic tickets within the Philippines, specifically for Asian Spirit and Sea Air.

In 2001, TCC introduced the Internet Center at Boracay. Originally a ten station Internet cafe which has been enhanced and upgraded year on year.  Today, customers can enjoy the fastest speed connection in the island for e-mails, chats, web surfing, games and downloads.  Current specification includes 16 workstations with IBM PC’s and Samsung Flat Screen LCD monitors. With a 256kbps link provided by Innove and powered by GlobeQuest DSL, and 24-hour generator support, it is not surprising that the Internet Center gets an average of 150 to 200 visitors daily. In 2004 a similarly equipped new Internet center with 10 workstations and 128kbps link was opened at Tourist Center-Bohol.

TCC additionally extended its services by creating a payment processing facility to acquire credit card payments from more than a thousand resorts and establishments across the Philippines.

Credit Card Payment Facilities
As an essential factor in developing its services, TCC brought in communication systems with networks initially from PLDT and more recently Innove / Globe communications.  This network has been expanded over the years to cover all TCC branches, thus creating a secure national infrastructure.  Banks were keen to exploit this infrastructure together with TCC’s network of staff, offices and communications to enhance their own credit card acquiring businesses.  Therefore, banks offered contracts to TCC to commence credit card acquiring on their behalf.  Indeed TCC has been serving as an aggregator for the banks, providing high quality levels of credit card acquiring service to businesses, often in remoter locations, where the banks are unable to provide services themselves.

Birth of Payment Processing Corporation
Just as TCC’s travel department gave birth to FTC, the credit card acquiring services gave birth to Payment Processing Corporation (PPC).  Credit card operations are currently provided by both TCC and PPC.  The same experienced team provides the service irrespective of which of the two businesses are performing the acquiring.  Banks that contract its services are slowly changing their contracts to reflect PPC instead of the historical TCC. So whilst PPC acquires credit card transactions for some Banks, other banks are still contracting the pioneer company; TCC.  But you; the merchant, are assured of the same high level of service whichever contact is offered to you.