NI KAREN SAN MIGUEL
Nakapagtala ng record-breaking sale na P172 milyon sa travel bookings sa loob ng dalawang araw na Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) ngayong taon ang Department of Tourism.
Iniulat ni DOT Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco na ang PHITEX ang katibayan na sabik ang mga turista na makapamasyal matapos ang mahabang ipinatupad na lockdowns at restrictions dahil sa COVID–19 pandemic.
Base sa datos ng Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), ang marketing department ng DOT, na nanguna sa ika-21 taon ng PHITEX travel trade noong Oktubre 19 hanggang Oktubre 20 kung saan nakapagtala ng kabuuang P172,602,851 sa business sales.
Nalagpasan nito ang sales record noong nakaliaps na taon at maging noong pre-pandemic travel trade na nasa P94.8 milyon noong 2018 at P46 milyon noong 2019.
“The impressive turnout of buyers and sellers, and the record-breaking numbers encapsulate the positive outlook for our country and growing interest in our destinations. As we embark in an aggressive campaign to revive our tourism industry and roll-out never seen before projects that will facilitate an enhanced connectivity into and around the Philippines, and provide a more convenient and seamless travel experience for guests, we anticipate more interest from local and international tourism stakeholders,” sabi ni Frasco, na chairperson ng TPB.
“President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has reiterated the tourism industry’s crucial role as an important economic development tool and this initiative is an avenue which can facilitate the creation of more employment opportunities and livelihoods for our countrymen,” dagdag nito.
Sa ginanap na PHITEX Expo event ngayong taon, sa pamamagitan ng hybrid format, dinaluhan ito ng mga international buyers at local sellers na lumahok sa on-site business-to-business meetings na ginanap sa Marriott Grand Ballroom at online via a virtual platform.
Sa 116 buyers, nasa 32 bansa ang lumahok, 53 ang physically present habang ang 63 bansa ay nakilahok virtually.
Samantala, 80 porysyento ng international buyers ang nakatakdang magtungo sa anim na post-event tour circuits kabilang ang Cebu-Bohol, Negros Oriental-Siquijor, Ilocos, CALABARZON, Davao, at Metro Manila.
“We are so proud of the collective efforts of our TPB team, our partners and sponsors, our stakeholders and our suppliers who mounted this successful event. This is the biggest negotiated sales generated by PHITEX in all its years and we are seeing more leads coming in. Secretary Frasco has always emphasized the importance and opportunity in equitably promoting all our regions and not just our popular destinations. This strategy has been proven effective as we brought the Regional Directors to be part of the B2B process, incorporated an exhibit of all the regions, invited weavers from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, and made sure that in our cultural shows, we integrated all regions in the visuals and live performances,” paliwanag ni TPB chief operating officer Margarita Nograles.
Ang PHITEX 2022 ay inorganisa sa pakikipagtulungan ng Philippine Airlines, at ng Globe Business, Primer Group of Companies, Destileria Limtuaco, Holiday Inn, Newport World Resorts, Hotel 101, Double Dragon, at San Miguel Brewery.
OnlineBalita news 