MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Tourism (DOT) is out to make the country’s travel and tourism players learn new ways of maximizing client capture in choice markets across the globe.
The DOT, through its marketing arm, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), has invited experts in various tourism markets overseas to stage educational seminars for that purpose during the staging of the 12th Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2013 at the SMX Convention Center Manila on Sept. 4-6.
PHITEX secretary-general and TPB chief operating officer Domingo Ramon Enerio III said the event would involve not just business-to-business activities between local and foreign industry players, but also a one-day educational seminar on increasing global market capture by adapting to new and emerging demand trends.
The seminar, scheduled on Sept. 4, will have a plenary session in the morning and breakout sessions in the afternoon.
“Thus, the PHITEX educational seminars will enable the local participants to meet the requirements of their various foreign counterparts,†Enerio said.
The seminars, according to Enerio, will present the online strategies and use of social media for tourism marketing; the hallmarks of 21st century tourism marketing management; the digital and social media marketing landscape in Korea, Japan and China; analysis of and updates on the French, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Italian, American, Russian, Australian, Indian and Singaporean markets; the demand prospects in short-haul markets like Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam; ways to grow the Korean market; positioning of the Philippines as the dive center of Asia; and the importance of route development in achieving the 10-million visitor arrivals set by the DOT.
Invited as resource persons and speakers for the seminars are consultant Tof Salcedo of Fiera de Manila Inc., director Therese Necio-Ortega of TNO Link Concepts, general manager Allen Kristian Vasquez of Innovative Systems and Technology Alliance Inc., Internet travel consultant Masahiro Takahashi of Rakuten Travel Singapore Pte Ltd., tourism resources director Youxin Lin of Beijing Tuniu International Travel Service Co. Ltd., promotions manager Guillaume Le Menn of Interface Tourism, managing director Serena Valle of Interface Tourism Italy, and various tourism directors and attaches and market representatives all over the globe.
“Following the full-day seminar will be the TRAVEX (Travel Exchange) on Sept. 5, with some 150 wholesale travel agents from all over the world having a whole-day one-on-one business transaction with their local counterparts from all sectors of the travel and tourism industry,†Enerio said.
Invited foreign buyers of travel services will come from Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, North America, Canada, Europe, Russia, the Middle East, India and the member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
To constitute the local sellers are representatives of hotels/resorts, tour operators, travel agents, convention facilities, and congress and incentive travel organizers, among many others.
For more information on the event, contact the PHITEX 2013 Secretariat at 525-7320 or 525-9318 locals 270 and 240; fax at 521-6165 or 525-3314; e-mail at secretariat@phitex.ph or sellers@phitex.ph or visit www.phitex.ph.