The Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) is set to stage for the 34th Philippine Travel Mart (PTM), the biggest annual fair focused on promoting popular and emerging tourist destinations in the country. The event will take place September 1-3, 2023, at the SMX Convention Center Manila, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

With nearly 300 exhibitors from all 17 regions of the Philippines, the Philippine Travel Mart brings together hotels, resorts, travel agencies, tour operators, and tourism offices under one roof. The one stop set-up makes it easy for travel fair patrons to peruse vacation packages from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Visitors of the PTM will have the advantage of availing discounts and deals available only for on-the-spot bookings.

“It’s still the domestic market that is driving tourism in the country,” says PHILTOA 1st Vice President, Mary Ann Ong.  We see this because of the strong demand for packaged tours in popular destinations like Baguio, Boracay, Cebu, Palawan.  What the PHILTOA is trying to achieve by way of this fair is to entice Filipinos to discover the hidden gems such as the Zamboanga Peninsula, Quirino, and Soccsksargen

(South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos). These are just some of the places that are under-the-radar but deserve to be explored, appreciated, and enjoyed.

The PTM serves as a significant platform for promoting domestic tourism, and it is a testament to the power of collaboration within the travel industry. The partnership with the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) and the unwavering support from the Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, and media outlets enable the event’s continuous success and contribute to rebuilding and revitalizing the tourism sector.

“We are grateful for the strong partnerships with PHILTOA, the Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, Philippine Airlines, and our media partners. The 34th Philippine Travel Mart is not only a showcase of our country’s incredible destinations but also a celebration of our industry’s resilience and strength as a major contributor to the country’s growth and progress,” said Fe Abling-Yu, President of the Philippine Tour Operators Association.

The 34th Philippine Travel Mart is happening on September 1 to 3, 2023, at the SMX Convention Center Manila, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.  For more information, visit their website philtravelmart.com, or follow their Facebook and Instagram pages @Philtravelmart

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) is set to hold one of the country’s biggest travel fairs this year to boost the Philippines’ emerging travel destinations and enhance its existing tourist spots.

The Philippine Travel Mart (PTM), now in its 34th year, aims to promote the country’s “hidden gems,” or underrated tourist attractions, aside from the already strong demand for packaged tours in popular destinations.

The one-stop set-up will take place on September 1 to 3 at the SMX Convention Center Manila in Pasay City.

“The highlight of the Philippine Travel Mart is to enhance the existing destinations but to help the emerging destinations to be developed,” PHILTOA President Fe Abling-Yu said during the press launch on Thursday, attended by several travel partners and hotel executives.

“In cooperation with the local government, we will always be there to support and to come up with any project,” she added.

PHILTOA mentioned places they consider “under the radar but deserve to be explored” such as Zamboanga Peninsula, Quirino, Marinduque, Romblon, Masbate, Basilan and provinces of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City.

They also vowed to promote Borongan, Samar, which is known as the “City of the Golden Sunrise” and aspires to be the “King City of the East.”

Feature for this year

As the demand for travel increased after months of lockdowns, the PHILTOA anticipates that the foot traffic of this year’s PTM will surpass that of last year’s event.

The three-day event will have nearly 300 exhibitors from all 17 regions of the Philippines, bringing together hotels, resorts, travel agencies, tour operators and tourism offices under one roof.

The travel trade exhibition promises its patrons a “more organized” setup this year for the easier perusal of packages from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, and the advantage of availing discounts and deals exclusive only for on-the-spot bookings.

“The PHILTOA has been an institutional project, travel show… In this year’s Philippine Travel Mart, as there has been the ease in pandemic restrictions, the ‘revenge tourism’ has emerged which is something we expected,” Abling-Yu said.

In an ambush interview with the press, Tourism Promotion Board Chief Operating Officer Margarita Nograles affirmed their support “in every step” of the PHILTOA’s travel trade exhibition

“Our vision is really to bring unique Filipino identity to the world, create experiences that are uniquely ours to share,” Nograles said.

Based on the Philippine Statistics Authority data, the country’s total internal tourism expenditure in 2022 registered P1.87 trillion, or an increase of 131.2%, from its 2021 level of P810.20 billion.

The PTM is in partnership with the PHILTOA, Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, and commercial airline authority Philippine Airlines. — Intern, Bless Aubrey Ogerio

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EMERGING destinations in Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, and Northern Luzon will be among those promoted by the Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa) at its travel expo this September.

In a recent news conference, Philtoa president Fe Abling-Yu said, apart from continuing to promote less-known destinations in Mindanao, the 34th Philippine Travel Mart is “going to promote Borongan, Samar…as Philippine Airlines will now be flying there via Cebu. So we can sell Borongan and we can sell also the outlying destinations in Cebu, not necessarily Cebu City, as well as other parts of Samar.”

While there are no available flights there yet, Marinduque is also on Philtoa’s list of emerging destinations, she said, as well as Romblon, Quirino province, Isabela in Basilan province, Masbate, and Samal Island in Davao.

“The highlight really of the Philippine Travel Mart is [not just] to enhance the existing destinations, but to help the emerging destinations to be developed. Philtoa will always be there to support the local governments in any of their [tourism promotion] projects,” she added.

Sales last year

In the group’s visits around the country, Abling-Yu said they noticed the change in perspective of many local politicians and government officials—“from the congressman to the governor to the provincial tourism officer to the mayors—become more cooperative because they’ve seen the importance of tourism to their destination.”

Meanwhile, in her keynote speech, Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Chief Operating Officer Margarita Nograles said noted the Philtoa’s role in boosting tourism traffic in the country. “Last year’s Philippine Travel Mart presented up to 50 percent discounts on airfare, accommodations, and local and international travel packages. With approximately 53,000 foot traffic and total sales of P60 million, this event played a vital role in economic growth, helping our tourism sectors bounce back stronger in the new normal. PTM has unlocked the potential of our globally acclaimed and emerging destinations, providing greater investment and business opportunities for our tourism stakeholders.”

Strong domestic tourism

TPB is the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), which is targeting to reach 4.8 million international travelers this year. As of July 26, there were 3.1 million inbound travelers, almost 65 percent of this year’s target. The DOT is pinning its hope on Chinese tourists to be able to reach its arrivals goal this year, but the Department of Foreign Affairs noted the economic slowdown in China that has resulted in most of its nationals staying home instead. (See, “DOT lauds e-visa for Chinese tourists; but will they come?” in the BusinessMirror, July 31, 2023.)

“It’s still the domestic market that is driving tourism in the country,” according to Philtoa 1st Vice President Mary Ann Ong. “We see this because of the strong demand for packaged tours in popular destinations like Baguio, Boracay, Cebu, Palawan. What Philtoa is trying to achieve through this fair is to entice Filipinos to discover the hidden gems such as the Zamboanga Peninsula, Quirino, and Soccsksargen region comprised of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos. These are just some of the places that are under-the-radar but deserve to be explored, appreciated, and enjoyed.”

The 34th PTM, to be held on September 1-3, 2023, at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, will feature nearly 300 exhibitors from all 17 regions of the Philippines, and bring together hotels, resorts, travel agencies, tour operators, and tourism offices under one roof.