Phl int’l travel fest lures global, local exhibitors

MANILA, Philippines - Blame it on the country’s longest Yuletide season or the fun in the Philippines gaining global recognition, but all roads at this early seem to lead to the SMX Convention Center Manila for an international travel festival come December.

And international that festival is certain to emerge, with worldwide service provider Amadeus and the British, Turkish and European chambers of commerce setting the pace for the influx of other Manila and foreign-based global exhibitors in the event.

This Christmas gathering of global tourism players is matched only by the convergence of their similarly increasing number of local counterparts at the festival led by the various regional offices of the Department of Tourism nationwide and its attached agency, the Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority.

The local exhibitors include tourism destinations in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao — from Cagayan Valley in the north to Palawan in the west, all the way to South Cotabato, Cotabato City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City in Region 12.

Thus, the nation is bound to see a vast cosmopolitan crowd whirling around the scene of the International Travel Festival (ITF) 2013, now covering not only what used to be a solely inbound promotional event dubbed “Travel Philippines Show,” but also outbound travel named “Euro-AmeriAsian Travel, Trade & Cultural Expo.”

“So expect both inbound and outbound tourism destinations featured in the ITF,” said chief executive officer Mitch Ballesteros of expo organizer Exlink Events.

“The fast growing registration of participants in the festival affirms the global tourism industry’s increasing momentum for sustained growth, with vacationing OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) adding impetus to the phenomenon,” Ballesteros said.

Practically promoting genuine two-way tourism traffic, the ITF is seen to contribute substantially to the continued rise in global tourism, now reportedly worth an estimated $1.15 trillion from a yearly revenue hike of 1.5 percent over the past five years.

Ballesteros said the outbound trips of foreign-based international airlines flying Filipinos to overseas destinations would also have a beneficial impact on inbound travel since they would have to promote the Philippines in their home countries to be able fill up airline seats on their return flights.

“Thus, the net effect of brisk inbound and outbound travel is a thriving tourism industry that gets a boost from both ends,” Ballesteros earlier said, citing tourism’s total contribution of $6.3 trillion and 255 million jobs to the global economy in 2011 alone.

Participating mostly in the ITF, therefore, are numerous exhibitors involved in both inbound and outbound businesses such as airlines, international hotel and resort chains, travel agencies, tour operators, MICE (meetings, incentive travel, conventions, and events) organizers, shopping malls, and global retail brands.

Also expected to participate in the ITF on Dec. 10-11 are transfers and transport firms, cruise ships and domestic passenger vessels, telecommunication companies, destination owners and managers, banks and financial institutions, and the academe and various service providers, among many others.

For more information on the ITF, contact Exlink Events at 632 643-3887, 0920-9242532 or 0920-9814376, e-mail at info@exlinkevents.com or visit www.exlinkevents.com.