200 travel agents from 18 countries to join PHITEX

MANILA, Philippines - Some 200 travel agents from 18 countries are joining the Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2011 to do business with the various sectors of the local tourism industry.

Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said this large foreign delegation would make PHITEX 2011 one of its biggest in more than 10 years.

“The foreign travel agents will check out which of our tourism destinations, products and services they can offer to their clients in their home countries, effectively making them our industry marketers all over the world,” Lim said.

“Some of them are from untapped foreign markets. So this 11th PHITEX dubbed ‘Philippines: Undiscovered Treasures’ also becomes a venue for market development and expansion without us having to go abroad and spend a fortune in doing it on site,” Lim added.

The theme “Undiscovered Treasures” complements the government’s “pocket open sky” policy as it also brings global attention to the country’s secondary international gateways like the airports in the cities of Davao, General Santos, Cebu, Puerto Princesa, Clark and Laoag, which can all become tourism hubs in the Southeast Asian region.

It is through these airports that foreign tourists can reach such undiscovered destinations as the beaches in Sabang, Apulit, Laoag and Currimao, among many others. 

These constitute a magnificent showcase of stunning natural landscapes — from majestic verdant mountains that rise above the clouds to the prolific underwater life, vibrant nightlife, awesome shopping and bargain hunting, delectable native and fusion cuisines, unique attractions and myriad of adventures, and countless other activities.

“The theme indicates a new generation of tourism destinations, attractions, products and services that we can offer to an expanding international market, and the new demand-driven product development and marketing techniques that our tourism industry can adopt to generate high-volume business from such emerging trends,” Lim said.

The undiscovered treasures will be presented at PHITEX 2011 where foreign buyers of travel and tourism packages will converge from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.

“Some of them (foreign buyers) are wholesale travel agents from countries that are not among our usual sources of tourists, while others are from our traditional markets but who have not yet engaged in selling Philippine tourism destinations and products to their clients, or are expanding their product lines to include the Philippines, or have included the Philippines in the past but later had to drop us,” Lim said.

“Their participation in PHITEX 2011 will make them experience the brand of tourism that we have been promoting worldwide since we are preparing special tours for them after the event,” Lim said.

The event, which is slated at the SMX Convention Center on Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, culminates in a so-called Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), a full day of pre-scheduled one-on-one business meetings between the foreign buyers and local sellers.

Among the local sellers at TRAVEX are airlines, tour operators, convention facilities, meetings, incentives, conventions and events organizers, and many other tourism-related establishments and enterprises.

Preceding TRAVEX is another full day of educational seminars on Aug. 31 featuring speakers with topics on emerging markets, how to promote the country’s undiscovered treasures, and the “new” tourism marketing tools.

Lim is urging all sectors of the tourism industry to participate in PHITEX to take advantage of the business opportunities and the skills they can acquire from the event.

The deadline for the registration of participants is Aug. 15. For more information, contact the PHITEX 2011 secretariat at 525-7320 or 525-9318 local 270 or 240, fax at 521-6165 or 525-3314, e-mail at phitex@dotpcvc.gov.ph or phitexsecretariat@yahoo.com or visit www.phitex.net.

Organized by the Tourism Promotions Board, the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism, PHITEX 2011 is supported by the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association, Philippine Tour Operators Association, Philippine Travel Agencies Association, and Philippine Airlines.