Go Ahead, Travel!

By Irene V. Fernando

The rush of travellers is expected again as the 18th Travel Tour Expo 2011 opens on 18 to 20 February 2011 at Halls 1 to 4 of the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.

MANILA, Philippines – There was a time when one has to pay an arm and a  leg to enjoy a decent vacation. Thanks to the boost in the international and domestic tourism industry, travel destinations have become more accessible to tourists. Competition has also played a role in giving travelers great choices in booking their trips.  Indeed, nowadays going on a trip is no longer a luxury but a way of life.

Travel enthusiasts are sure to have a great start of the year as Travel Tour Expo (TTE) 2011 gives us an array of the best deals in the market this February 18 to 20, 2011 at the SMX Convention Hall. Now on its 18th year, the TTE is an annual event in the Philippine travel and tourism industry organized by the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) and the Department of Tourism (DoT) and serves as a one-stop-shop for all domestic and international travel needs such as tickets, land arrangements, hotel accommodation, tours, and other travel packages.

Considering the events that rocked the country’s tourism sector last year, travel authorities say 2010 was still a good year for the industry. At present, composing the bulk of the traveling public are students, businessmen and group travelers. “I’ve seen a really big demand for groups which are composed of students and those who are on incentive tours,” shares PTTA president and TTE chairman Paz “Pat” Alberto. According to her, companies give away domestic and international travel packages to their employees as incentives. “Like a year ago, the incentive tours were (from) companies sponsoring their employees such as the salespeople, as a reward for a good performance at work. For students, of course those taking tourism-related courses.”

With the theme “Around the World in Three Days,” the event offers cheaper ways of going to any part of the world. Visitors of the three-day event can expect travel fares and packages that are said to be “better” than what consumers can find “online or anywhere else.” 

“All the agencies will be able to service you and give you the best offer available in the market,” Alberto says. The TTE organizers have also solicited support from tour operators abroad to give them very special rates. “And just to let you know, Disney Land will be giving Disney items to anybody who buys a package to Hong Kong and stays overnight in Disney hotel or for a day during the event.” Local destinations are worth checking out as well. “But of course we have to think also that there are so many beautiful spots in the Philippines. And we have so many new boutique resorts. Both domestic and international (agencies) will be offering something different and something new.”

Last year’s top destinations for Filipinos included Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore. This year, Alberto believes that it will still be the same because of the shorter and cheaper flights. “Of course people will also be interested in going back to Thailand now as it is very much into heavy promotion.”

Inbound, over-all data showed that we were still able to reach the desired target for foreign visitors despite the Quirino Grandstand hostage taking and the travel advisories.  As early as the third quarter of 2010, Alberto disclosed that were already “3.2 million visitors from other countries.”

At the same time, more Filipinos are traveling within the country. “Domestic tourism in the Philippines is very good. Tourism (industry) is increasing and increasing every year,” she says. The promos that airlines are giving have been playing a big part. “Filipinos make advanced planning now because of the promo fares.”

Last year’s show brought in about 80,000 visitors, featured 416 booths with 230 participants and had the theme “Ready, Jet-set, Go!” which presented offers that would allow visitors to travel by air, water, rail or road within or outside the Philippines.

The Travel Tour Expo 2011 will be on February 18-20, 2011 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City. Entrance fee is only P50 (P20 for senior citizens). For more information, call Fairs & More at (2) 845-1324/759-6680 or the PTAA Secretariat at (2) 552-0026 to 29
.

Source: Manila Bulletin

Tourists ready for PH; PH not ready for tourists

 

By DJ Yap
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Most Read

MANILA, Philippines—It’s not about terrorists.
Tourists aren’t deterred by travel warnings to the Philippines, but by a host of other factors, major tourism industry players said Monday.

“There are not enough flights, not enough seat capacity, ill-prepared marketing and the quality of accommodations is not good enough,” said Alejandra Clemente, president of the Federation of Tourism Industries of the Philippines (FTIP).

Simply put, the Philippines is “not ready” to take in tourists in large numbers, Clemente said in a press conference at the Mandarin Oriental called by tourism stakeholders in support of embattled Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim.
Clemente said travel advisories cautioning foreigners about purported terrorist threats in the Philippines hardly made a dent in tourist arrivals.

She said 2.8 million arrivals had been so far recorded this year, including returning Filipinos, compared to about 3 million last year.

Even the Manila bus hostage-taking incident that left eight Chinese tourists and the Filipino gunman dead on Aug. 23 had not caused a noticeable decrease in the number of tourists, she said.


Holiday security

On Monday, Philippine National Police Director General Raul Bacalzo announced he was fielding more police units in tourist spots across the country for the Christmas holidays.

Bacalzo and Lim signed an agreement that will pave the way for the establishment of the Tourist-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection Program. Pilot projects will be set up in 14 travel destinations, according to the deal.
Clemente said the problem went deeper than security issues, noting that the government was not being aggressive enough in marketing the country and the lack of an open skies agreement with other countries heavily restricted potential tourism traffic.

But she said there was reason to be optimistic about the chances of the Philippines becoming a major tourism destination, if it effectively taps the lucrative Japan and Korean markets.

She noted that All Nippon Airways would begin direct flights from Japan to the Philippines at the end of February, while Delta Air Lines was expected to add two flights per week in its US-Japan-Philippines route.

Former Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Jose Luis Yulo said developed countries were shifting their attention to Asia, particularly China, and this opened a lot of possibilities for Philippine tourism.

“The Western world is not only looking at China, but other countries in Asia, and that’s where we should focus,” Yulo said during the open forum.


Slogan fiasco

Commenting on the “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” fiasco, the stakeholders said no tourism slogan could instantly solve the industry’s problems.

Marciano Ragaza, president of Travel Enterprise and former president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association, said the Department of Tourism had promised a more “democratic process” in choosing a new slogan.

The speakers mostly agreed that it was time to rest the “Wow Philippines” slogan, which former Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon had championed.

“It was already working for several years, so I feel we need a new slogan to boost our image, and to speak better to what we can sell,” said Margie Moran Floirendo, former president of the Davao Tourism Association and former chair of the
Southern Philippines Regional Tourism Council. With a report from Alcuin Papa

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Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer