MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism and its marketing arm, Tourism Promotions Board, are set to lead the delegation who will spotlight Philippines’ tourism offerings in back-to-back travel and trade events this month.
The Philippine is set to return to the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024 which will take place at the Dubai World Trade Center from May 6 to 9, 2024.
This year, the theme of the trade event is “Empowering Innovation – Transforming Travel through Entrepreneurship,” wherein the Philippines will showcase its commitment to innovation and sustainability in tourism including promotion of the Travel Philippines app, utilizing contactless engagement devices and prominent advertisements on the exhibitor portal.
The Philippines’ delegation will be led by Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, Tourism Undersecretary Myra Paz Valderrosa-Abubakr, Assistant Secretaries Verna Buensuceso and Rica Bueno, TPB Chief Operating Officer Maria Margarita Nograles, and select members from the House of Representatives.
TPB has also secured a larger booth space at 90-square-meter compared to last year and invited 16 seller companies who will showcase diverse tourism offerings.
The 16 private sector co-exhibitors from hotels, tour operators, and DMCs include Annset Holidays Inc., Ark Travel Express, Biyaheko.ph, Boracay Adventures Travel N Tours, CTph Tours, Rajah Travel Corporation, VIA Philippines Travel Corporation, Atmosphere Resorts and Spa, Bellevue Hotel, El Nido Resorts, The Farm at San Benito, Lalaguna Villas Luxury Dive Resort and Spa, Lihim Resorts, El Nido by Araw Hospitality Group, The Manila Hotel, Megaworld Hotels & Resorts and Okada Manila.
This year, the country seeks to exceed last year’s success and gain interest as a “preferred Asian destination” among attendees.
“There’s been a remarkable surge in outbound tourism from the Middle East, particularly from GCC countries. Based on the data, we see a growing appetite for international travel among GCC citizens, especially after the pandemic, and we see this trend continuing to rise in the coming years,” Nograles said.
“This is one of the major reasons why we are doubling down on our efforts to maintain and enhance our presence in the Middle East. With our continued participation at the ATM, we aim to position the Philippines as a top-of-mind destination in Asia,” she added.
ATM, founded in 1994, is said to be the “gateway and leading global travel and tourism platform for the Middle East inbound and outbound travel industry.”
Last year, the four-day event’s 30th edition was attended by over 40,000 visitors, 2,109 exhibiting companies from 156 countries and generated more than US $3 billion in sales.
Aside from the participation in ATM, the Philippines will also join the 39th Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF) 2024, which will be held at the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center in Seoul, South Korea on May 8 to 10, 2024.
The DOT said SITF, also known as the Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA), serves as the largest international travel fair in South Korea.”
Last year, a total of 1,130 exhibitors comprising 284 international and local companies from 43 countries joined the SITF, attracting approximately 50,000 visitors to the fair.
Coinciding with the SITF is the staging of the World Tourism Industry Conference (WTIC) on May 9. The DOT said this is a gathering of tourism ministers and industry leaders who will discuss sustainable global tourism as well as emerging issues in the tourism industry and international cooperation business opportunities, among others.
Frasco is also set to join meetings with leaders, representatives from airlines, travel agencies, tour operators, and travel-related organizations and stakeholders in UAE and South Korea to explore more marketing business opportunities for the Philippines.
The tourism chief then said that the Philippines’ participation in the two trade and travel events is a fulfillment of the vision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the Philippines to become a “tourism powerhouse in Asia and the world,” also part of the goal of the National Tourism Development Plan covering 2023 to 2028.
“With the momentum from increased tourist arrivals from the Middle East and the resurgence of Korean tourists to the Philippines, it’s vital to sustain our visibility at travel and trade events like Arabian Travel Market and the Seoul International Travel Fair. We look forward to these opportunities to share the Filipino story to the rest of the world as envisioned by our President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., and to reinforce the Philippines’ position as a preferred destination and top-of-mind choice for travelers from these important source markets based on our strengths, not just our sun and beach and naturescapes, but also our diverse offerings on gastronomy, culture, and most importantly, Filipino tourism workers, who serve as our best asset for their distinct hospitality and warmth,” Frasco said.
