Saturday, April 12, 2008 [ manilatimes.net ]
By Rommel C. Lontayao, Reporter
More members of the Taiwan travel industry are coming into the country for incentive tour groups, conferences and other business travel activities, the Department of Tourism (DOT) reported yesterday.
Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said the observation was made following the recent arrival of over 200 Taiwanese participating in the last series of incentive tours during the first quarter of 2008.
“The combined efforts of our local travel trade and the [tourism] department are making headway not only in reaching more of the Taiwan travel market, but also in propping up the Philippines as one of Asia’s top venues for corporate events,” Durano said.
The DOT noted that the 131-strong group from the Taiwan subsidiary of global sports wear brand Adidas toured the various historical and cultural around Manila as well as shopping and entertainment centers during their four-day stay.
Meanwhile, 73 members from Tachong Bank’s sales group went to Palawan for a two-week holiday. The Taipei-based company, according to the DOT, is one of the major providers of consumer and corporate banking services.
“The demand for convention and business travel services is very palpable. The country’s strengths lie in our ability to offer various activities, attractions and destinations, and the warm and professional Filipino staff ready to assist tour groups,” Durano explained.
He added that big volumes coupled with a tendency to stay long and spend more are what make corporate tour groups attractive to the local travel trade industry.
To this, the DOT said it has been actively promoting the country’s Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events (MICE) facilities not only to the Taiwan market, but in other Asian countries as well.
Early this year, the tourism department took part in the 16th Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo, which was held in Melbourne, Australia, which was touted as one of the top events in the Asia Pacific region for the MICE industry.
“Our staff was busy entertaining queries from Australian organizers that planned to send groups of around 200 to 2,500 people to the Philippines as early as the first day and continued to do so for rest of the event,” reported Tourism Attaché Consuelo Jones.
With Metro Manila currently considered to be the hub for conferences, expositions and other international trade activities, the DOT said it is also prepping up Cebu City, Subic and Clark to be the next centers for MICE.
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