By Victoria “NIKE” De Dios
After the successful travel mart held last year, stakeholders in the Philippine tourism industry gear up for another exciting 34th Travel Mart. Needless to say, the increase in confidence from global travelers in the post-pandemic world indicates that this year travel mart would reverse the economic slowdown and will generate more sales, something that excites and elates the entire tourism industry.
No less than, Ma. Margarita Nograles COO of the Tourism Promotions Board expressed her excitement and confidence in the success of this year’s Travel Mart and cited how tourism has been contributing to the country’s economic recovery.
This year’s PHILTOA 34th Philippine Travel Mart (PTM) is the biggest annual fair focused on promoting popular and emerging tourist destinations in the country and will take place from September 1-3, 2023, at the SMX Convention Center Manila, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.
So whether you are looking for other local destinations to explore, the 34th Philippine Travel Mart has a lot of offerings you can choose from the almost 300 exhibitors from all 17 regions of the Philippines are participating would surely satisfy one’s desire to fulfill many of the travel bucket lists.
For her part, PHILTOA 1st Vice President, Mary Ann Ong underscored the importance of supporting local tourism in the country.
“It’s still the domestic market that is driving tourism in the country,” she said. “We can say this because of the pent-up demand for packaged tours in popular destinations like Baguio, Boracay, Cebu, Palawan. What the PHILTOA is trying to achieve by way of this fair is to entice Filipinos to discover the hidden gems such as the Zamboanga Peninsula, Quirino, and Soccsksargen
(South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos). These are just some of the places that are under-the-radar but deserve to be explored, appreciated, and enjoyed,” she added.
The Travel Mart serves as a significant platform for promoting domestic tourism, and it is a testament to the power of collaboration within the travel industry. The partnership with the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) and the unwavering support from the Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, and media outlets enable the event’s continuous success and contribute to rebuilding and revitalizing the tourism sector.
Meanwhile, Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) President Fe Abling-Yu expressed gratitude to all the partners of the travel mart recognizing the important roles of all the partners.
“We are grateful for the strong partnerships with PHILTOA, the Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, Philippine Airlines, and our media partners,” Abling-Yu said.
“The 34th Philippine Travel Mart is not only a showcase of our country’s incredible destinations but also a celebration of our industry’s resilience and strength as a major contributor to the country’s growth and progress,” she added.
Speaking to THEPHILBIZNEWS, the president of PHILTOA said, “We really make sure that the Philippine Travel Mart will continue to be the most sought tourism promotion event that fosters partnership with all the stakeholders. Like you in the media, you amplify what we do to accurate the tourism recovery of the country,” she said.
This is the reason why we collaborate with hotels, resorts, travel agencies, tour operators, and tourism offices under one roof. It is convenient and everyone looks forward to this event. It is a one-stop-shop setup that makes it easy for travel fair patrons to peruse vacation packages across the country. Visitors of the PTM will have the advantage of availing discounts and deals available only for on-the-spot bookings.
For more information, visit their website philtravelmart.com, or follow their Facebook and Instagram pages @Philtravelmart
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