MANILA, Philippines - For the first time after three successful staging, the now famous Tara Na Sa Norte travel fair will be held in Manila to lure the city’s populace and visitors to go north.
The Manila staging of Tara Na Sa Norte Travel Fair 2011 will also mark the first time that this outdoor event will be held indoors - at the ground floor, Sta. Monica wing, of Robinson’s Ermita on July 8 to 10 - to take advantage of its heavy consumer traffic and vast market visibility.
Tara Na Sa Norte was originally held at a gasoline station at the Balagtas, Bulacan segment of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) to entice northbound travelers to visit the many tourism destinations along the way and further up north.
This promotional stunt is spearheaded by the Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC), concessionaire of NLEX and a member of the Metro Pacific Group.
MNTC vice president for marketing Renie Ticzon said the event would help tourism grow in North Philippines.
The marketing objective is to position North Philippines as a major Philippine tourism hub and a global travel destination, with the Clark, Subic, Poro Point and Laoag airports serving as its international gateways and with NLEX and the Subic-Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) providing world-class access to popular attractions like Vigan, Banaue, Hundred Islands, Candaba swamp, and many others.
“And with Tara Na Sa Norte 2011 to be held in the consumer-rich tourist belt of Manila, tourism firms can now sell their low-season tour packages through the Lakbay Grande Deals program to a bigger market,” said Angel Ramos Bognot of event management firm Afro Asian World Events.
“The fair also promotes long-term tourism deals as it involves face-to-face business meetings between Manila buyers and North Philippines sellers,” Bognot added.
“By its name alone, the fair supports the DOT’s (Department of Tourism’s) domestic tourism program titled Pilipinas Tara Na,” Bognot said.
The three-day tourism event will have Travel Agents Day on Day 1, Academe Day on Day 2, and Family Day on Day 3, all geared to establish business relationships and market linkages for tourism products and services.
The featured “Destination of the Day” will get the chance to present and showcase its tourism potential and business plan using creative and alternative methods and strategies to attract more visitor arrivals.
Moreover, an upgraded and incentivized holiday tour program dubbed Byaheng Norte will offer cultural and heritage tours to Central Luzon, Pangasinan, and Ilocandia.
Daily raffle draws, product demos, special events, and non-stop tourism promo and marketing presentations will be conducted by all 41 exhibitors that include Camp John Hay Manor, Fontana Leisure Park, Wintrex Travel, Clark Development Corp., and other leading properties of North Philippines.
A Wellness Experience Zone will provide the public with free native massage hilot and a presentation on the subject by Philippine Wellness Association of Spa guru Jomar Fleras.
For more information on the event, contact Afro Asian World Events at 02 523-6537 or 02 523-7501, or e-mail at afroasiantvl@yahoo.com.
North Philippines comprises Region 1 (Ilocandia), Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), Region 3 (Central Luzon), and the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Foreign visitor arrivals in these regions surged over the last three years with the advent of low-budget carriers in Clark, chartered flights in Subic and Poro Point, and the aggressive DOT-led marketing efforts of the private sector and the government.
Arrivals from Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Korea, and India also contributed to the growth in the volume of foreign tourists visiting North Philippines.
Managed by Afro Asian World Events, Tara Na Sa Norte is supported by the DOT, TEAM Philippines, SKAL International, North Philippines Visitors Bureau, and sponsored by Smart Communications and Clark Development Corp.