36th Philippine Travel Mart

 Philtoa has young travelers in mind

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte 

The Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa) launched the 36th Philippine Travel Mart through a press briefer at the Manila Peninsula. Simply dubbed "Boosting Next Gen Tourism, the early afternoon event highlighted new destinations for young travelers.

"At the MoA SMX event, there will be kiosks for walk-ins, especially for persons with disabilities (PWDs), aside from online transactions. The exhibit will cater mostly to the Manila crowd because the regions will be coming to MoA through their respective booths.

"It will be an event for all ages. If the dynamics work for one generation lang, it would lack the foresight with the other age groups. This year will be bigger in scale. We expect as much as 45,000 in foot traffic this September," shared Philtoa secretary-general Harold S. Atondo in an interview.

The Philippine Travel Mart is Philtoa's 3rd event that unfolds annually, including the Travel You Expo in March and the Travel Madness in July. 

"March was originally for the domestic market, but the demand drove us to serve global destinations as well. The most aggressive destination now is the Negros Island Region, especially with Oriental Negros and Siquijor that was made more famous by Anne Curtis' 'fairy walk' in Cambugahay Falls, Siquijor.

"Tour packages could go as low as Php 1,200 overnight per tourist. Though it can also fetch as high as Php 2-million overnight for destinations like the Banwa Private Island in Palawan. There will also be other luxury destinations and packages that will be priced in between these extremes," Atondo added.

Department of Tourism (DoT) secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who shared her insights into the future of Phililpine tourism said (through a read statement) that the strength of Philippine tourism lies in the DoT's collaboration with the private sector, like Philtoa.

Part of her message read, "In 2024, total tourism expenditure from both international and domestic travel reached Php 3.86 trillion, reflecting the growing dynamism and confidence in the Philippine travel sector. Today, the industry directly employs 6.75 million Filipinos and indirectly supports 10-million more; a clear evidence of the sector's vast economic potential to uplift the lives of countless Filipinos. The Philippine Travel Mart market reflects what the private and public sectors can achieve together in a tourism industry that is vibrant, resilient, and rooted in collaboration."

The 36th Philippine Travel Mart exhibition will unfold on September 5 to 7 at the SMX Mall of Asia Convention Center. Guests and attendees can look forward to perks and prizes during the 3-day event.