[ Manila Bulletin Online ] August 7, 2008
After four years of consistent record-breaking volumes of foreign visitor arrivals, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano is out to keep the numbers rising by gunning for the world’s big adventure tourism market.
"Adventure tourism is getting to be a multibillion-dollar global industry accounting for a fifth of the world’s tourism market. Travelers all over the world are searching for more adrenaline-packed activities and excitement, more than the usual scenic packages. And we have what it takes to bring them to the Philippines," Durano said.
To push his "Adventure Philippines" directly to the target market, Durano is bringing in huge wholesale travel buyers from some 20 countries where adventure tourism is getting to be a craze, particularly bird watching, mountain trekking and climbing, camping, and whitewater rafting.
"These foreign travel buyers will join the Philippine Travel Exchange (Phitex) 2008 to do business with local sellers of tourism packages," Durano said.
Slated at the SMX Convention Center on Sept. 10-11, Phitex 2008 includes educational seminars for local sellers, pre- and post-conference tours for foreign buyers, and one-on-one business appointments.
Expected to join Phitex are some 200 foreign buyers, including over 90 wholesalers from key European markets such as France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and Russia. The rest are expected to come from Australia, Hong Kong, India, Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Canada, and the United States.
Local participants are airlines, hotels and resorts, tour operators, convention facilities, incentive and congress organizers, tourism attractions and destination promoters, and transport operators.
"Their participation in Phitex 2008 will enable them to generate high-volume business from the foreign buyers," Durano said. "At the same time, they will learn from the Phitex seminars how they can align their products and services with the emerging tourism trends, particularly the specific needs of the world’s high-end adventure tourists."
The Phitex buyers will have a glimpse of local destinations through the Philippine Travel Mart, which will be held at the SM Megamall on Sept. 12-14.
