PHITEX 2011 seen to spark off foreign investments in tourism

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: [email protected], [email protected]; or visit www.phitex.net).