Cebu’s adventure tourism to get mileage in PhilTex

To push Cebu’s edge on adventure tourism, the Department of Tourism (DOT-7) has urged industry players to participate in the upcoming Philippine Travel Exchange 2008 next month in Manila.

DOT-7 regional director Patria Aurora Roa in her letter to tourism stakeholders said that Cebu tourism players should actively participate on this two-day international wholesale tourism showcase, to maximize Cebu’s edge in the tourism industry.

DOT through its marketing arm, Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC), is set to hold the PhilTex 2008 on September 10 to 11, 2008 at the SMX Convention Center in Metro Manila.

PhilTex is DOT's aggressive promotional effort to further boost the Philippine's position in the global tourism market.

Its main component is the Travel Exchange or TRAVEX, wherein Seller of Philippine Tourism products meet up with International Buyers on one-on-one business appointments.

The 2008 edition is expected to be the biggest ever with 200 buyers targeted, including over 80 wholesalers from key source markets in Europe already identified.

This year's theme is to intensely push the Adventure Tourism niche of the Philippines, of which Cebu, and other neighboring provinces in Central Visayas have great potential.

Adventure Tourism is a multi-billion dollar sector and without a doubt, one of the highest growth segments in travel today, making up one-fifth of the global tourism industry.

Travelers all over the world are now searching for more meaning and experience in their travels, to include adrenaline-packed activities and excitement, more than the usual scenic packages.

Due to the overflowing attendance to the previous year, the organizers will once again conduct marketing presentations that would provide interested Seller participants with information on how to deal with primary emerging markers. In accordance with the theme, a symposium on Adventure Tourism focusing on standardized initial packages available will be conducted.

Using Cebu as the gateway, some tourism players have started to push adventure tourism within the region, promoting the exotic destinations especially in the far-flung areas, and sleepy towns in the Visayas.

Travel agency called “On The Edge” has introduced this specialized package early this year, initially showcasing the other side of Bohol’s attraction, keeping away from the bandwagon of packaging tours to Chocolate Hills, Loboc River, among others.

Already, a travel agency managed by marketing expert Lyndon Angan has organized several exotic destination tours or adventure tours to foreign and local tourists. These include, adventure trips to Sagada (Mountain Province), Mount Pinatubo, Ta-al Volcano, Danao and Candijay in Bohol. — Ehda M. Dagooc