Central Luzon, Nueva Vizcaya bag NorthPhil Expo awards

MANILA, Philippines - The regions of Central Luzon and Central Mindanao, the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Aurora, Cebu Pacific, and the Pampanga Agents Travel Society won the top awards in their respective categories at the recently concluded North Philippines (NorthPhil) Tourism and Travel Expo 2010.

Central Luzon bagged the NorthPhil Expo’s Best Department of Tourism (DOT) Pavilion award, with Cagayan Valley taking the second place and the Ilocos region the third.

On the other hand, Central Mindanao won the Best DOT Booth award, followed by Western Visayas and Metro Manila.

Likewise, Nueva Vizcaya was named the Best Local Government Unit (LGU) Booth, with Zambales gaining the second spot and Tarlac the third.

The Best Destination Pavilion went to the multi-awarded Aurora province, with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and the province of Pampanga getting the second and third places, respectively.

For the Best Corporate Booth, the award went to Cebu Pacific, followed by the Pampanga Agents Travel Society (PATS) and Lewis Grand Hotel.

PATS also won the Best Onsite Promotions and Marketing and the Early Bird awards.

These awards added glitter and excitement to the colorful and fun-filled activities at the NorthPhil Expo, which included participants from Luzon’s far north in the Cordilleras to Mindanao’s far south in the Cotabato provinces and many other tourism destinations in between.

Best DOT Booth winner Central Mindanao alone covered South Cotabato, Cotabato City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City.

Aimed at promoting North Philippines as a tourism hub and international gateway to Luzon and the rest of the country, the expo comprised a three-day festivity where the DOT, LGUs and private enterprises celebrated the richness and diversity of the entire archipelago.

The expo included a musical and cultural extravaganza, both onstage and around the exhibit area of SM City Clark, adding life and vigor to the colorful displays that redefined the essence of Philippine tourism at its best.

Game shows, parades, special presentations, raffles, animal shows and cultural stage performances turned the expo into an exhilarating experience for the visitors who included wholesale and retail buyers of tourism packages.

“These activities practically put the spotlight on the unique Filipino artistry and cultural traits that can be gleaned from our amazing ethnic music, dances, arts and crafts and our world-renowned brand of hospitality and warmth. Together, these create a compelling and irresistible tourism brand proposition for both the domestic and foreign inbound markets. As such, we are packaging a strong marketing mix in a multi-sensory and experiential fashion to help define the country’s tourism brand as a cut above the rest,” said DOT-Central Luzon director Ronnie Tiotuico.

“Nonetheless, we want to encourage foreign and domestic tourists to go North and experience its wellspring of tourism diversity,” Tiotuico added, referring to the expo’s theme for 2010.

The NorthPhil exhibitors included LGUs in Western Visayas and south Central Mindanao, Boracay Regency Group of Resorts, Alta Vista Boracay, Korea’s Asiana Airlines and even the Sabah Tourism Board, among others.

The expo also affirmed the rise of North Philippines as a domestic and international tourism hub aptly branded as a “tourism mall” with its contiguous sprawl of rich and diverse natural and cultural attractions and destinations that can all be reached by land. 

Supported by the Central Luzon Tourism Council, the expo (www.northphilexpo.com) was a project of the DOT offices in CAR, Ilocos , Pangasinan, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon, and managed by the Philippine Exhibits and Theme Parks Corp.