Buyers from Singapore, Malaysia coming for NorthPhil Expo 2011
MANILA, Philippines - Singaporean and Malaysian wholesale buyers of travel packages and tourism products are coming over to join the North Philippines (NorthPhil) Tourism and Travel Expo 2011, which will be held at the SM City Clark on Nov. 11-14.
“These foreign travel agents will figure out prominently in NorthPhil Expo’s Buyers Meet Sellers program that will be held for the entire duration of the event,” said Ronnie Tiotuico, Central Luzon director of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
“The program will enable local sellers to transact business with the foreign buyers, who will actually become our marketing agents in their respective countries and promote North Philippines to their captive clientele,” Tiotuico said.
“This annual expo, therefore, is steadily evolving into a global marketing event highlighting the North Philippines as an international and domestic tourism hub and contributing to the DOT’s product, brand and market development efforts,” Tiotuico added.
Both the Malaysian and Singaporean buyers will be flown in by Cebu Pacific (CEB) as the expo’s official carrier.
Among the country’s airlines, CEB has the most number of domestic and ASEAN destinations from the Philippines. It was also the first domestic airline to base its operations in Clark. Thus, expo participants can book the lowest possible fares on inter-island flights from Clark, Manila, Cebu and Davao.
From Clark, the guests can also book flights to Cebu, Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok, and from Manila to Cauayan or Tuguegarao.
The lowest possible fares for one-way flights from Clark to international destinations start at P999, to Cebu or from Manila to Cauayan at P1,099, and from Manila to Tuguegarao at P699.
“We continue to encourage travel from CEB’s Clark hub to further boost North Luzon,” said CEB vice president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog.
CEB is among several international airlines contributing significantly to the inflow of tourists to North Philippines through the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark.
International passenger traffic at the DMIA reportedly reached 607,704 in 2011 and is still growing strong.
DMIA is strategically connected by the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway to the Subic Freeport Zone, another international gateway, making North Philippines a natural hub for both foreign and domestic tourists.
Constituting North Philippines are the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos and Pangasinan (Region 1), Cagayan Valley (Region 2), and Central Luzon (Region 3).
Tourism establishments and travel firms from these regions comprise the bulk of the exhibitors at the NorthPhil Expo 2011, which involves exhibits, special events, and social and business functions.
The tourism exhibits will feature the pavilions of the provinces of Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Tarlac, the freeport zones of the Clark Development Corp. and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, the DOT regional offices in the Cordilleras, Ilocos and Pangasinan, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon, and the corporate booths of various tourism-related businesses. This year’s expo will also be participated in by DOT regional offices from the Visayas and Mindanao.
To be showcased in the exhibit booths and pavilions are popular, new and emerging tourism destinations, attractions, and products and services that are unique to each region.
The special events include theatrical and cultural presentations, corporate game shows, product presentations, raffle draws, and crafts and culinary demonstrations.
Dinner and cocktails for business networking are also being arranged for the participants in the Buyers Meet Sellers program.
Supporting the expo are the Central Luzon Tourism Council, the provinces and DOT offices in North Philippines, and the Philippine Exhibits and Themeparks Corp. (PETCO) as event manager
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For more information, contact PETCO at (632) 832-9303 to 05, fax to (632) 5562723, e-mail at northphilexpo@gmail.comor visit www.northphilexpo.com.
