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Best PHITEX ever - Bengzon Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?publicationSubCategoryId=87&articleId=723416 |
PHITEX 2011 geared to launch Phl tourism diversification drive
(The Philippine Star) Updated August 19, 2011 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - The forthcoming Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2011 will practically launch the product diversification campaign of the Department of Tourism (DOT), effectively making the country’s brand cover all the needs of the global tourism market, including its sub-segments.
DOT Assistant Secretary Domingo Ramon Enerio III, PHITEX secretary-general, said the event, in introducing the country’s “undiscovered treasures,” would also highlight a complete menu of “attractions, activities, and advantages” of visiting the Philippine archipelago.
“The three ‘As’ (attractions, activities and advantages) will depict and characterize the Philippines as a ‘triple A’ destination with all and everything that a tourist needs, including value for money,” Enerio said.
“And this brand image — spanning sports, holiday vacations, adventures, shopping, education, incentive travel, film-making, geological and scientific explorations, historical and cultural tours, professional and industrial visits, international meetings and events, weddings and honeymoons, health and wellness, medical and dental, agri and eco-tourism, and business and investment tourism, among many others — shall be inculcated in the minds of the visiting travel agents from 24 countries around the world who will later sell our Philippine tourism to their captive clientele back home,” Enerio added.
The foreign travel agents, numbering at least 200, will come from Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Germany, Italy, Russia, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Poland, Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands, and United Arab Emirates.
They are joining the PHITEX 2011 to do business with the various sectors of the local tourism industry.
Slated at the SMX Convention Center, the PHITEX 2011 starts on Aug. 31 with educational seminars for local participants and a city tour for the foreign travel agents, and will culminate in a Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) on Sept. 1 and a Philippine Travel Mart exhibit on Sept. 2.
The TRAVEX is a full day of pre-scheduled one-on-one, business-to-business meetings between foreign travel agents and the local sellers of tourism products and services, while the educational seminars will enable the participants to embark on demand-driven product development and strategic marketing campaigns that can generate high tourism volume.
“There will also be post-event tours for the foreign travel agents on Sept. 2 to give them a first-hand experience of the Philippine tourism brand that they will promote to their clients in their home countries,” Enerio said.
The post-event tours include Palawan, Davao, Bohol, Boracay, Bicol, Pampanga, Bataan, Taal, Puerto Galera, Ilocos, and Cebu.
“Some of the travel agents are from untapped foreign markets. So this 11th PHITEX dubbed ‘Philippines: Undiscovered Treasures’ also becomes a venue for our global market development and expansion,” Enerio said.
The theme “Undiscovered Treasures” complements the government’s “pocket open skies” policy as it brings global attention to the country’s secondary international gateways like the airports in the cities of Davao, General Santos, Cebu, Puerto Princesa, and Laoag and Clark, which can all become tourism hubs in the Southeast Asian region.
“While we protect our local airline industry through reciprocity agreements, we also have to open our airports in unserved or inadequately served areas to foreign airlines, including budget carriers, that can bring tourists to our undiscovered treasures and further invigorate our Philippine tourism,” Enerio said, citing the DOT’s determination to hit its target of 3.75 million inbound visitors for full-year 2011.
Enerio is urging all sectors of the tourism industry to participate in PHITEX to take advantage of the business opportunities and the skills that they can acquire from the event.
For more information, contact the PHITEX 2011 secretariat at 525-7320, 525-9318 local 270 and 240; fax at 521-6165 or 525-3314; e-mail at phitex@dotpcvc.gov.ph or phitexsecretariat@yahoo.com; or visitwww.phitex.net.
Organized by the Tourism Promotions Board, the marketing arm of the DOT, PHITEX 2011 is supported by the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association, Philippine Tour Operators Association, Philippine Travel Agencies Association, and Philippine Airlines.
Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?publicationSubCategoryId=87&articleId=718290200 travel agents from 18 countries to join PHITEX
(The Philippine Star) Updated July 29, 2011 12:00 AM
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=711164&publicationSubCategoryId=87
MANILA, Philippines - Some 200 travel agents from 18 countries are joining the Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2011 to do business with the various sectors of the local tourism industry.
Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said this large foreign delegation would make PHITEX 2011 one of its biggest in more than 10 years.
“The foreign travel agents will check out which of our tourism destinations, products and services they can offer to their clients in their home countries, effectively making them our industry marketers all over the world,” Lim said.
“Some of them are from untapped foreign markets. So this 11th PHITEX dubbed ‘Philippines: Undiscovered Treasures’ also becomes a venue for market development and expansion without us having to go abroad and spend a fortune in doing it on site,” Lim added.
The theme “Undiscovered Treasures” complements the government’s “pocket open sky” policy as it also brings global attention to the country’s secondary international gateways like the airports in the cities of Davao, General Santos, Cebu, Puerto Princesa, Clark and Laoag, which can all become tourism hubs in the Southeast Asian region.
It is through these airports that foreign tourists can reach such undiscovered destinations as the beaches in Sabang, Apulit, Laoag and Currimao, among many others.
These constitute a magnificent showcase of stunning natural landscapes — from majestic verdant mountains that rise above the clouds to the prolific underwater life, vibrant nightlife, awesome shopping and bargain hunting, delectable native and fusion cuisines, unique attractions and myriad of adventures, and countless other activities.
“The theme indicates a new generation of tourism destinations, attractions, products and services that we can offer to an expanding international market, and the new demand-driven product development and marketing techniques that our tourism industry can adopt to generate high-volume business from such emerging trends,” Lim said.
The undiscovered treasures will be presented at PHITEX 2011 where foreign buyers of travel and tourism packages will converge from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
“Some of them (foreign buyers) are wholesale travel agents from countries that are not among our usual sources of tourists, while others are from our traditional markets but who have not yet engaged in selling Philippine tourism destinations and products to their clients, or are expanding their product lines to include the Philippines, or have included the Philippines in the past but later had to drop us,” Lim said.
“Their participation in PHITEX 2011 will make them experience the brand of tourism that we have been promoting worldwide since we are preparing special tours for them after the event,” Lim said.
The event, which is slated at the SMX Convention Center on Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, culminates in a so-called Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), a full day of pre-scheduled one-on-one business meetings between the foreign buyers and local sellers.
Among the local sellers at TRAVEX are airlines, tour operators, convention facilities, meetings, incentives, conventions and events organizers, and many other tourism-related establishments and enterprises.
Preceding TRAVEX is another full day of educational seminars on Aug. 31 featuring speakers with topics on emerging markets, how to promote the country’s undiscovered treasures, and the “new” tourism marketing tools.
Lim is urging all sectors of the tourism industry to participate in PHITEX to take advantage of the business opportunities and the skills they can acquire from the event.
The deadline for the registration of participants is Aug. 15. For more information, contact the PHITEX 2011 secretariat at 525-7320 or 525-9318 local 270 or 240, fax at 521-6165 or 525-3314, e-mail at phitex@dotpcvc.gov.ph or phitexsecretariat@yahoo.com or visit www.phitex.net.
Organized by the Tourism Promotions Board, the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism, PHITEX 2011 is supported by the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association, Philippine Tour Operators Association, Philippine Travel Agencies Association, and Philippine Airlines.
Foreign investments in tourism pushed
Manila Bulletin, 18 July 2011, 2:46am
Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/327264/foreign-investments-tourism-pushedd
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DoT) will showcase the country’s “undiscovered treasures and hidden gems” in the forthcoming Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2011 in an intensified effort to attract foreign investments in the country’s tourism development.
“The new and undeveloped tourism destinations to be featured in PHITEX 2011 are themselves investment attractions to foreign industry players with a keen eye for business opportunities,” said DoT Secretary Albert Lim.
“Thus, PHITEX 2011 may somehow appear like a promotional investment mission that will be held locally instead of abroad,” Lim added as he cited the need for more hotel rooms, amenities and infrastructure facilities to increase the country’s tourism capacity.
“Otherwise, our own limited capacity will hinder our efforts to raise the volume of our foreign visitor arrivals significantly,” Lim stressed.
Nonetheless, more and more untapped tourism destinations and potential attractions are being discovered, many of them to be unveiled at PHITEX 2011, which will be held at the SMX Convention Center on August 30 to September 1.
Invited to participate in PHITEX are travel firms from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Germany, Italy, Russia Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
The representatives of those companies will transact business with local tourism industry members that include airlines, hotels and resorts, destination management firms, tour operators, convention facilities, event organizers, and many other tourism-related establishments and enterprises.
This full-day, one-on-one business meetings dubbed Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) is scheduled on September 1.
Preceding TRAVEX is another full day of educational seminars on the various aspects of tourism for the Philippine seller participants.
With the theme “Philippines: Undiscovered Treasures,” PHITEX 2011 will uncover and promote the country’s hidden tourism gems scattered throughout its 7,107 islands.
PHITEX also includes pre-event tours, a city tour on August 31, and post-event tours on September 2.
“The tours in selected destinations will enable the foreign buyers to have a good grasp of the quality of our tourism products and services that they can promote to their captive clientele back home,” Lim said.
PHITEX 2011 is supported by private sector tourism stakeholders such as the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association, Philippine Tour Operators Association, Philippine Travel Agencies Association, the airline sectors, Diamond Hotel Philippines, The Peninsula Manila, and Century Park Hotel.
The PHITEX 2011 is organized by the DoT’s marketing arm, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).
PHITEX 2011 seen to spark off foreign investments in tourism
(The Philippine Star) Updated July 18, 2011 12:00 AM
Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=707172&publicationSubCategoryId=66
MANILA, Philippines - The move by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to showcase the country’s “undiscovered treasures and hidden gems” in the forthcoming Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2011 is seen to lure foreign investments in the country’s tourism development.
“The new and undeveloped tourism destinations to be featured in PHITEX 2011 are themselves investment attractions to foreign industry players with a keen eye for business opportunities,” said DOT Secretary Albert Lim.
“Thus, PHITEX 2011 may somehow appear like a promotional investment mission that will be held locally instead of abroad,” Lim added as he cited the need for more hotel rooms, amenities and infrastructure facilities to increase the country’s tourism capacity.
“Otherwise, our own limited capacity will hinder our efforts to raise the volume of our foreign visitor arrivals significantly,” Lim stressed.
Nonetheless, more and more untapped tourism destinations and potential attractions are being discovered, many of them to be unveiled at PHITEX 2011, which will be held at the SMX Convention Center on Aug. 30 to Sept. 1.
Invited to participate in PHITEX are travel firms from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Germany, Italy, Russia Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
The representatives of those companies will transact business with local tourism industry members that include airlines, hotels and resorts, destination management firms, tour operators, convention facilities, event organizers, and many other tourism-related establishments and enterprises.
More information on the event can be obtained from the PHITEX 2011 Secretariat (tel: 5257320, 5259318 loc. 270, 240; fax: 5216165, 5253314; emails: phitex@dotpcvc.gov.ph, phitexsecretariat@yahoo.com; or visit www.phitex.net).
DOT to unveil 'undiscovered treasures' to foreign buyers
The Philippine Star, July 10, 2011 12:00 AM
Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=704467&publicationSubCategoryId=87
MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Tourism (DOT) will unveil the country’s “undiscovered treasures and hidden gems” to big foreign buyers of travel packages in an international event that will virtually present the Philippines to the world in a new light.
This unprecedented showcase of untapped natural bounty and beauty will be the centerpiece of the DOT’s 11th Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) slated at the SMX Convention Center on Aug. 30 to Sept. 1.
“So if you think you’ve seen enough of the Philippines, think again, because PHITEX 2011 will show you otherwise,” said Tourism Secretary Albert Lim.
“In fact, PHITEX 2011 will just be the beginning of a sustained effort to build a new sense of excitement and vigor around our tourism brand to keep it alive and exhilarating, and elicit renewed enthusiasm from both our captive and untapped foreign markets,” Lim said.
Invited to view the PHITEX exhibits are foreign buyers from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
“They (foreign buyers) are wholesale travel agents from non-traditional markets, and those from traditional markets but who have not yet engaged in selling Philippine tourism destinations and products to their clients in their respective home countries, or are expanding their product lines to include the Philippines, or have included the Philippines in the past but later had to drop us,” Lim said.
“This means that PHITEX 2011 is our vehicle to expand our sales and distribution system across the globe through market development or tourism promotion in untapped industry channels of consumer marketing, while reinvigorating and somehow reinventing our brand by showcasing the other unknown attributes of Philippine tourism,” Lim added.
With the theme “Philippines: Undiscovered Treasures,” PHITEX 2011 will uncover and promote the country’s hidden tourism gems scattered throughout its 7,107 islands — from stunning natural landscapes and prolific underwater life to the vibrant nightlife, awesome shopping and bargain hunting, delectable native and fusion cuisines, unique destinations and myriad of adventures, and countless other activities and possibilities.
Organized by the DOT’s marketing arm, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), PHITEX 2011 also includes Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), the strictly business component of this promotional event.
TRAVEX is scheduled on Sept. 1 when Philippine sellers will have a full day to transact business with the foreign buyers in pre-scheduled, one-on-one meetings for product presentations and sales pitches.
Among the Philippine sellers are airlines, tour operators, convention facilities, meetings, incentives, conventions and events organizers, and many other tourism-related establishments and enterprises.
For more information on the event, contact the PHITEX 2011 secretariat at 525-7320 or 525-9318 local 270 or 240, fax 521-6165 or 525-3314, e-mail at phitex@dotpcvc.gov.ph or phitexsecretariat@yahoo.com or visit www.phitex.net.
To enable the foreign buyers to have a first-hand experience of selected Philippine destinations, products and services, there will be pre-event tours, a city tour on Aug. 31, and post-event tours on Sept. 2.
“These foreign buyers will soon become our doors and windows to the world by carrying our merchandising collaterals in their sales offices back home as they push the Philippine brand over the counter to their captive clientele,” Lim said.
PHITEX 2011 is supported by private sector tourism stakeholders such as the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association, Philippine Tour Operators Association, Philippine Travel Agencies Association and the airline sector. It is sponsored by Diamond Hotel and Hyatt Hotel and Casino.