'Tara Na Sa Norte' 2011 opens today in Manila
MANILA, Philippines - Former senator and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Tourism Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions Daniel Corpuz lead government officials and the tourism industry in opening the Tara Na Sa Norte Travel Fair 2011 at the Robinson’s Ermita at 11 a.m. today.
Joining them as special guests at the ribbon-cutting rites are Tourism Undersecretary for Regional Operations Victoria Jasmin and Assistant Secretary Benito Bengzon Jr., Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. president and chief executive officer Ramoncito Fernandez, Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) president Rodrigo Franco, Tourism Educators and Movers (TEAM) Philippines chairman Robert Lim Joseph, Clark Development Corp. (CDC) chairman and CEO Felipe Antonio Remollo, and Miss Earth Philippines 2011 Athena Mae Imperial.
They will lead Tara Na Sa Norte’s visitors and guests in a tour of the exhibits before the start of the opening program, with Lim welcoming them and MNTC vice president for marketing Renie Ticzon delivering the welcome remarks.
Franco and Remollo will give some brief inspirational messages before Corpuz delivers his keynote speech and Joseph his closing remarks.
Corpuz is expected to speak on the tourism development and prospects of North Philippines and the recently launched DOT domestic tourism program “Pilipinas Tara Na,” which the MNTC, TEAM Philippines and event management firm Afro Asian World Events are promoting through the Tara Na Sa Norte.
“This will be the first time for Tara Na Sa Norte to be held indoors and in Manila after three successful staging at an outdoor venue in the Balagtas, Bulacan segment of the NLEX (North Luzon Expressway),” said Angel Ramos Bognot, president of Afro Asian World Events.
“The change in venue was aimed at making this event accessible to the 500 travel agencies in Metro Manila while gaining maximum consumer exposure and market visibility. The fair thus becomes a venue for business deals between North Philippines sellers and Metro Manila buyers of travel packages,” Ticzon said.
Aside from the exhibits, the three-day event includes product presentations, cultural extravaganza, networking on various aspects of travel and tourism, and other family-oriented activities.
Daily raffle draws, product demos, special events, and non-stop tourism promo and marketing presentations will be conducted by all of the 41 exhibitors following the principle of “Lakbay Grande Deals” that gives big travel discounts and freebies.
A Wellness Experience Zone will provide free native massage hilot to select visitors.
Day 1 of the event is Travel Agents Day; Day 2 is Academe Day; and Day 3 is Family Day, making Tara Na Sa Norte cater to all major segments of the market.
The marketing objective is to position North Philippines as a major Philippine tourism hub and a global travel destination.
The North Philippines prides itself with having Clark, Subic, Poro Point and Laoag airports as its international gateways, and with NLEX and the Subic-Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) as its world-class transportation backbone.
Constituting North Philippines are the Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and the Cordillera Administrative Region. Foreign visitor arrivals in these regions surged over the last three years with the advent of low-budget carriers in Clark, chartered flights in Subic and Poro Point, and the aggressive DOT-led marketing efforts.
Contributing to this growth are foreign visitor arrivals from Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Korea, and India.
Managed by Afro Asian World Events, Tara Na Sa Norte is supported by the DOT, the office of Sen. Manuel Lapid who chairs the Senate tourism committee; TEAM Philippines, SKAL International, and North Philippines Visitors Bureau, and is sponsored by Smart Communications, CDC, and Robinsons Land.
