A dazzling Manila awaits PTM participants in 2012

MANILA, Philippines - A dazzling Manila in the heart of a blossoming metropolis by the bay, totally different from what it used to be 33 years ago, is what awaits the thousands of participants in next year’s travel mart of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

The marked difference starts at the three international airport terminals from where foreign delegates of the PATA Travel Mart (PTM) 2012 will see a sprawling and glittering hotel and entertainment complex that seemingly extends, albeit intermittently, to the full length of Roxas Boulevard parallel to the world-famous and historic Manila Bay.

This tourism strip that appears to hug the bay in a romantic union cradles numerous big hotels from north to south of the entire stretch, with many new properties dotting its expanse as if purposely built for the PTM 2012.

Such new tourism facilities include the SM Bay City, H2O Hotel, and the Resorts World Manila that hosts the Marriot Hotel Manila, the Newport Mall, the 1,500-seat Newport Performing Arts Theater, the Remington Hotel and the all-suites Maxims Hotel.

At the heart of the SM Bay City is the SM Mall of Asia and the adjacent SMX Convention Center where the PTM will be held in September next year.

The Philippines’ largest private venue and one of the flagship establishments of the country’s meetings, incentive, conventions and events (MICE) industry, the SMX Convention Center stands as the modern version of the classic Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Asia’s first international convention center.

Now the much-awaited PTM returns to Manila with the completion of at least 4,681 new luxury hotel rooms and many other high-end facilities constituting some $5 billion worth of fresh investments in the Philippine tourism industry.

These investments include the 3,539 rooms to open this year and 1,142 next year from the 57 new accommodation facilities that shall have commenced operations in time for the staging of next year’s PTM.

Other new tourism facilities and destinations are also emerging in Mega Manila and the rest of the country as local industry players continue their expansion binge and foreign investors keep pouring in new capital, with the government putting up both the policy support and physical infrastructure.

All these improvements and increased capacity are among the highlights of the presentation that the Department of Tourism will conduct for the participants of PATA 2011 in New Delhi during its networking lunch with Indian buyers and a Philippine-hosted dinner reception at the Ashok Hotel on Sept. 9 to cap the four-day event in a colorful fashion.

“The Philippine Night on Sept. 9 will enable us to invite the participants in the PTM 2011 to come to Manila for the PTM 2012 and see for themselves our many new tourism developments,” said Tourism Undersecretary Daniel Corpuz.

“Yet, these developments account for just a fraction of the great tourism experience that the PATA delegates can enjoy from their visit to the Philippines,” Corpuz added, referring to the archipelago’s myriad of rich and diverse natural and cultural attractions, breathtaking destinations, shopping, leisure and countless other activities made even more enjoyable by the unique warmth and hospitality of the English-speaking Filipinos.

“This (PTM 2012) is our opportunity to present to the world what Tourism Philippines is about in all its uniqueness and unmatched diversity,” Corpuz said, as he hailed the PATA Board for allowing Manila to host the PTM 2012. 

“This is definitely a vote of confidence for what the Philippines stands for in the world of tourism,” Corpuz added.

The Philippines won the bid to host the PTM 2012 over other strong contenders in the running. Manila hosted the very first PATA Travel Mart in 1978, where over 300 delegates assembled to experience Asia-Pacific’s first industry event.

Since then, the Philippines has hosted other huge and prestigious PATA events such as its 29th Annual Conference and Workshop in 1980, Midyear Board of Directors’ Meeting in 1987 and Annual Board of Directors’ Meeting in 1989, 1995 and 2002, Adventure Travel and Eco-Tourism Conference and Mart in 1993, and 47th Annual Conference and World Chapters Congress in 1998.

Founded in 1951, PATA is the recognized authority on Pacific Asia travel and tourism, providing leadership and advocacy to the collective efforts of nearly 100 government, state and city tourism bodies, more than 55 airlines and cruise lines, and hundreds of travel industry companies.

Worldwide, PATA has over 2,000 individual members from over 41 countries, with the Philippines as one of its founders.