Phl hosts AsPac Drive Tourism Conference

MANILA, Philippines - Explore the Philippines’ countryside charm and cultural gems through driving at the first Asia Pacific Drive Tourism Conference, Auto and Travel show scheduled at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center on Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, 2014.

A first of its kind in the country, the five-day confab and expo is presented by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), the National Auto Club and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

Keynoting the event are Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. and Jean Todt, president of the Paris-based Federation Internationale d’Automobile (FIA), the world’s largest group of car clubs and motorsports associations with over 200 member organizations in 132 countries.

Other invited speakers are the transport ministers of Sri Lanka, Malaysia and New Zealand, and the tourism ministers of Nepal, Maldives, Palau, Bhutan and Thailand, Automobile Association of Upper India president TK Malhotra and FIA Region 2 president Ross Heron, as well as representatives from the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

The conference will serve as the market launch of the DOT’s Drive Tourism program in coordination with AAP which aims to consolidate the components of all tourism-oriented road and driving activities.

“Drive Tourism is where participants move through a tourism highway or road network that allows them to see diverse attractions on the road and experience the local way of life,” says Jimenez.

After the conference proper, the Auto and Travel Show runs from Jan.31 to Feb. 2 which will feature super deals in automobiles, accessories, tour packages, travel essentials, Filipino regional cuisine and recreational activities at the Children’s Fun plaza rides.