DOT Philippines Prepares For International Travel & Tourism Events

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is organizing the Philippine participation in key international events in principal source markets.

Among these are the World Travel Fair (WTF) 2013, Philippine Business Mission (PBM) 2013 to Japan and the 26th Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA 2013).

This World Travel Fair (WTF) 2013 will be held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, Shanghai, China on May 10 to 12.

WTF is the most important travel fair in Shanghai and Eastern China, the biggest source of Chinese arrivals to the Philippines.

With increasing air access from Shanghai to Manila, Kalibo and Cebu forthcoming, following the 23 percent registered growth in visa issuance of the Philippine Consulate, DOT Shanghai has reserved 100sqms of booth space for the Philippine participation highlighting the Bicol region.

Plans are likewise underway for a sales mission to Hangzhou on May 8 which would include business meetings with top outbound agents and dinner networking with key media supporters and partner airlines.

Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang Province, is the 2nd largest source of outbound travel in Eastern China. Participation fee to WTF has been set at US $ 500 per company.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Business Mission (PBM) 2013 will be held at Fukuoka, Osaka, Nagoya & Tokyo, Japan on May 27 to 31.

PBM, an annual travel event organized by DOT in the four main cities of Japan that account for the largest number of outbound travelers, provides a platform for suppliers of Philippine tourism products to conduct business with their Japanese counterparts.

In each city, the mission includes a tourism seminar to update the captive Japanese audience in Philippine tourism developments, a travel mart for the one-on-one business decisions with the Japanese travel trade, and a networking function or reception.

Considering the 8.8 percent increase in 2012 Japanese outbound and the market’s corresponding 9.85 percent growth in the Philippine arrivals, PBM will be the best venue in engaging Japan’s top travel executives, expected with a 2013 upsurge in attendance.

There is also the 26th Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA 2013), which will be held at the COEX Convention and Exhibition Center, Seoul, Korea on May 30 to June 2.

KOTFA is a Korea’s largest travel fair with international recognition held annually at the Convention and Exhibition Center (COEX), KOTFA 2013 expected to exceed 500 participants from over 60 countries that will entice approximately 120,000 visitors to the four-day show.

As the Philippines' largest source of visitor traffic, Korean outbound to the Philippines continues its annual growth registering an 11.45 percent increase and a milestone of over million visitors in 2012.

DOT Seoul has reserved 135sqms of space for the Philippine booth. A US $ 200 participation fee per delegate will be charged for the event. (PNA/Azer N. Parrocha CTB)