The country has welcomed more than 100 Foreign Buyers from all over the world for the recently concluded Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) Buyer Invitational Program. Dubbed as I Travel, I Explore, the program has included the Dream Trip Program and the MICE Mart as its two major components.

Spearheaded by the Department of Tourism (DOT) through the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC), I Travel, I Explore was among the year’s biggest travel and trade events.

“We are thrilled to continue to open our doors to global guests in the MICE industry and showcase the country as a premier MICE destination. The Department is very confident that buyers, investors, and tourists, will always be enthralled not only with our country’s natural sites, but with our ready facilities for conventions and exhibitions,” said Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

“Our country’s competitiveness in this area of tourism springs from our creativity and resourcefulness. We are capable of organizing and holding uniquely-themed events, at a more reasonable and efficient cost,” Durano stressed.

Among the well-screened international buyers are incentive houses, destination management companies, association executives, meeting planners, and congress and exhibition organizers.

Durano further said, “Some participants are happy to be visiting the Philippines for the first time. Leading buyers from the United Kingdom, Active Consultancy, Mako Lifestyle and Rubymear Group of Companies, all specialists in the business, were among them, to name a few.”

Eduardo Jarque, Jr., Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions, said, “Knowing that buyers are excited to see the business opportunities that can unfold during the trip, DOT marketing representatives overseas and marketing teams here have been committed to provide them with the best possible assistance to ensure a fruitful business exchange.”

”An educational trip to the islands will definitely put the Philippines into the map of M.I.C.E. Market in our core market segments,” Jarque added. He also noted that DOT marketing teams are also continuously active in linking applications between the country and segments from North America, Middle East, India, Asia Pacific, China, Japan, and Korea.

Philippine sellers included airlines, hotels and resorts, Conference and Exhibition Venues, Destination Management Companies, Tour Operators, Meeting and Event Planners, M.I.C.E. Organizers and Suppliers, M.I.C.E. Destination Tourism Councils and Other M.I.C.E. Ancillary Services Suppliers.

This is how the Department of Tourism (DOT) aggressively promotes the country in the upcoming International Travel Expo (ITE) in Hong Kong. The theme Romantic Philippines is set to captivate Asian couples, featuring unique getaways and exhilarating thrills.

“The country’s stunning landscapes truly make it a sought-after wedding destination. Couples would choose only the best for life’s most memorable events, and we are certain they would never run out of exciting discoveries in our many islands,” Tourism Secretary Ace Durano shares.

The country’s delegation, led by the DOT, will be joined by renowned and respected industry leaders Boracay Regency Beach Resort and Convention Center, Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort, The Manila Hotel, El Nido Resort, Boracay Grand Vista Resort and Spa, Eskaya Beach Resort and Spa, Le Soleil de Boracay, Hotel Seraph Boracay, Waterfront Hotels and Casino, and Plantation Bay Resort and Spa

Trusted travel operators Shroff International Travel Care, Inc., Castro Travel Solutions Agency, Le Soleil de Boracay, Happy Sun Travel and Tours, and Planet Holiday, as well as leading carriers Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific Air, will also be represented.

The Philippine booth promises unique performances and exciting activities. Top local acts will render Kundiman, or Filipino love songs; and unique designs by leading designer Renee Salud will be showcased.

Now on its 23rd year, the ITE has chosen the country as a finalist for the ‘New Travel Route’ competition, where finalist countries will be put to popular vote as the most preferred destinations for avid travelers. Joining the Philippines for the list of finalists are Switzerland, Greece, Peru, India, South Korea, Turkey, and Japan, among others.

The Hong Kong market has continued to pose encouraging number in terms of arrivals to the country, for the past three years. A total of 96,296 visitors in 2006; 111,948 in 2007; and 116,653 in 2008 reflect a significant 14% growth rate.

Looking on to brighter and more fruitful years for travel and tourism, especially noting the huge potential of our islands in enticing a growing number of travelers, the Philippines expects to sustain an upward trend for the Hong Kong market in the coming years.

Following its aggressive campaign to boost tourism traffic from unconventional source markets, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is pleased to announce the arrival of more and bigger cruise ships from Costa Cruises, Europe’s top cruise company. The luxury liner has scheduled a total of 15 visits to the country this year.

“Cruise ship tourists are a valuable segment of our arrivals as they come from the high-spending, silver markets of Europe and the US. I am pleased to note that beginning October of this year, Costa Cruises will upgrade to a bigger vessel that carries twice the number of passengers on board,” Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said.

“The new ship can carry 1,600 passengers which is a two-fold increase from the 800 passenger-capacity of Costa Allegra. This year, we have also augmented our scheduled ports of call in Manila compared to last year’s record,” cited Jenica Ferrer, Sales and Operations Officer of Costa Cruises in Manila.

The Philippines has been praised by guests for having the warmest arrival reception from among the ship’s destinations. “We make sure that they are treated to our one-of-a-kind Filipino hospitality. Even before the ship has completely docked, we greet guests with spectacular cultural performances amidst the festive atmosphere of various stalls offering handicrafts, delicacies and other home-made products on the wharf. We also give them a glimpse of the country by bringing them to a historical exploration of Corregidor, nature discovery of Tagaytay and Pagsanjan, and heritage tour and shopping in Manila,” shared Eduardo Jarque, Jr., Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions.

Costa Cruises targets more than 18,000 passenger arrivals in Manila this year, which is almost twice the figure of last year’s record of 10,000 passengers.

Touted as a ‘romantic ship,’ Costa Classica holds an astonishing number of sculpture, original painting, hangings, murals, and crafts. It has ten decks, two swimming pools and 2 theaters, and is built with a tonnage of 52,926 tons, and a length of 723 feet.

Media Release
May 2009

The Department of Tourism (DOT) hosted a welcome luncheon to a group of 32 senior Japanese tourists who were in the country recently for a memorial tour of the Philippines.

Organized by the Gunma Philippine Society (GPS), the biennial Memorial Tour of the Philippines aims to promote and enhance peace and understanding between the people of Japan and the Philippines through tourism. The tour brought the Japanese seniors to Corregidor, Angeles, Baguio, Banaue, and Nueva Ecija, where the visitors offered prayers for their family members who were assigned in the Philippines during World War II.

The visiting Japanese seniors are from the Gunma Prefecture in central Japan. Gunma is an inland prefecture home to specialties including silk fabric and okirikomi, a local dish representative of the prefecture’s unique wheat culture.

According to Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, “Japanese travelers have historically contributed significantly to Philippine tourism. We welcome every opportunity to promote the country to the Japanese market, especially to the silver market who may find it a perfect haven where they can spend their retirement years.”

Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque, Jr. said, “Among many other niche markets, the Philippines also look to the senior Japanese market to further invigorate the country’s tourism industry. What we can give them is a promise that the Philippines, with its health and wellness products and wonderful gifts of nature, can indeed cater to the aspirations and lifestyle of the senior Japanese populace.”

In his speech during the welcome luncheon, DOT Team Japan Head, Director Benito C. Bengzon, Jr. said, “The regular conduct of the tours is very important in fostering friendship and goodwill between the Philippines and Japan.”

DOT also awarded plaques of appreciation to members of the Gunma Philippine Society and distributed souvenir shirts and dried mangoes, a Japanese favourite, to the group. In return, GPS Chairman Zensuke Hara vowed to continue organizing the Memorial Tours to the Philippines.

Siargao Province, May 7, 2009 – The Department of Tourism (DOT) is co-hosting this year’s Invitational Game Fishing Tournament here today, together with the First District of Surigao del Norte.

Ace Durano, Secretary of Tourism opens this landmark event with Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, together with Rep. Francisco Matugas of the First District of Surigao, and attended by local and foreign dignitaries.

“With our specialized tourism activities, the country is ready to be positioned as a significant game fishing venue. Blessed with a prime location, the Philippines is ready to welcome enthusiasts of this unique sport,” said Durano.

Considered as a form of recreational fishing as well as a legitimate sport, game fishing targets to catch the largest bony fish in the open sea, a timely initiative as the country’s tourism industry continues to go for niche marketing to get a ‘big catch’ of arrivals for 2009.

Durano reiterated, “Domestic travel is a key component in the country. We continually encourage activity in local communities, and with events like this enjoining both local and international delegates, we are assured that tourism growth is on a very solid foundation.”

The scenic coastal town of Pilar, Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte is host to second run of this international tournament, expecting to draw numerous local and foreign anglers from Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Russia, Taiwan and the United States.

Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque, Jr remarked, “This will certainly boost Surigao’s tourism industry, which is also known as a surfing destination. Breathtaking views of coastlines and sunsets and a wide array of activities continue to captivate travellers the world over.”

Matugas agreed, “Cloud Nine, the largest mangrove forest in the country at 8,760 hectares, pristine white sand beaches, and tropical marine life-rich coral reefs, continue to attract a huge volume of tourists each year.”

Resolute that tourism is the prime vehicle for development in the island and of the whole Province of Surigao del Norte, he added, “With enhancement of the area’s travel opportunities, tourism will be a major contributor to the upliftment of the community’s livelihood.”

April 22, 2009, Department of Tourism (DOT), together with MTV Asia, Media Contacts and Yehey, launched the Awesome Philippines campaign which aims to promote the Philippines to the youth travelers.

During the launch, DOT also announced a mini competition for bloggers. It’s the same as their Online Video Remix contest where you can create your own dream holiday in the Philippines. The only difference is that this mini contest is exclusive for the event’s attendees.

They gave us our own user names and passwords and we were given until April 24 / Friday / 12 noon to submit our entries.

To make the story short, I made an entry and I named it “Philippines is the place to be.” When I was doing my video remix, I wasn’t expecting anything.  I just love doing video remixing. I even made our wedding video, you can watch it below:

Anyway, last May 5, 2009, I received an awesome email… Sherry of Media Contacts announced the winner of the bloggers’ Video Remix contest. It says:

Hello everyone,

Good morning! We thank everyone who tried out and submitted their videos for our mini-contest. We received a number of good submissions from all of you and it took us time to decide to whom we award our special prize to. One video stood out, however, and we would like to congratulate Awesomeblogger 34, Ms. Iris Camille Mejia, for her winning video “Philippines is the place to be.” You may get in touch with me directly for the details of your Palawan trip prize.

In behalf of the Philippine Department of Tourism and Media Contacts Philippines, we would like to thank you all for your support of Awesome Philippines.

Have an awesome day everyone!

Sincere regards,

Sherry

I was really speechless that morning. I got in touch with Sherry and she told me that she’s still coordinating with the DOT for my prize and will advise me of the details. I’m really excited for my Palawan trip.  I think I need the most effective diet pills so I can wear my swimsuit. =)

Anyway, if you want to win a trip for 2 to beautiful Philippines, you can still join the Awesome Philippines Online Video Remix contest.

Here’s the mechanics:
AWESOME PHILIPPINES PROMO MECHANICS
1. Create your dream holiday video by remixing video travel clips, photos and music tracks from www.awesomephilippines.com.
2. Find the different clips of specific destinations in the Video Remixer.
3. Pick and edit cuts of the different travel clips and photos based on your own storyline.
4. Choose the soundtrack of your video from the songs available.
5. Register to enter the contest. As a user, you may submit more than one video entry.
6. All submitted videos will be showcased in the website (www.awesomephilippines.com) gallery and widgets.
7. Your video will be rated by other registered users via a thumbs-up, thumbs-down system.
8. Videos with the highest ratings will be short listed. From the shortlist, 11 videos will be selected by MTV Asia and the Philippine Department of Tourism as the winning entries.
9. Each creator of a winning video will get to fulfill his/her dream holiday with a friend.
10. This promo runs from February 27 to May 24, 2009. All submitted videos will automatically become the property of the Philippine Department of Tourism.

Weeee! I’m really excited. For sure it will be an awesome experience. Thanks The Philippine Department of Tourism, Media Contacts, MTV Asia and Yehey.

For the period January to March 2009, a total of 1,231 additional rooms were opened. With an aggregate cost of P8.016 Billion, these new investments directly employed 1,286 people.

The opening of the P3.18 Billion Imperial Palace Water Park, Resort and Spa increased the room supply in Cebu by 4% to 14,792. With 616 rooms, this new tourism project provided employment to 780 workers.

The San Remigio Beach Club in the northern part of Cebu has also opened its new facilities during the first quarter. With P8.5 Million in investments, the resort has built a convention facility to capture the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) of both international and domestic markets.

Shangri-la’s Boracay Resort and Spa, a high-end 217-room resort in Boracay Island, opened just in time for the influx of tourists on vacation and long holidays. The resort has initially hired 488 workers to manage its various ranges of product offerings.

Seven locators investing in 28 cluster villas for a total cost of P 761.9 Million in the Amanpulo Tourism Enterprise Zone in Palawan also began their operation during the first quarter.

In Metro Manila, the opening of the Legend International’s Park, Bed and Breakfast Hotel, Eurotel Hotel Branch in Makati, and the expansion of Oakwood Serviced Residences increased the total room supply by 320.

By year-end, some 1,946 people will be directly employed nationwide once the additional 2,315 rooms become operational in the following destinations:

• Metro Manila: Manila Ocean Park (120 rooms), The Picasso Serviced Residences (136 rooms), Newport Marriott Hotel (342 rooms), and Maxims Hotel (178 rooms)
• Cebu: Radisson Hotel (400 rooms)
• Boracay: Crowne Regency (449), Phonex Hotel (130 rooms), Boracay Regency Lagoon (120 rooms), Seven Stones (100 rooms), Grand Water (100 rooms)
• Puerto Princesa: Microtel Inns and Suites (50 rooms)
• Tagaytay: Summer Ridge (108 rooms)
• Albay: Discovery Bay Misibis (82 rooms)

With greater demand for tourism services, the Department of Tourism (DOT) endorsed five development projects worth P6.323 Billion in the first quarter of the year. These initiatives will generate 6,340 employment opportunities for local residents in the said tourist areas.

A US$ 200-Million luxury spa and resort is also set to be developed by Banyan Tree in a 55-hectare property in Diwaran Island of Palawan. This project will generate 8,000 direct and indirect jobs during the planning, construction and operational stages from 2009 to 2012.

In Subic, Harbor Yacht Services (HYS) Philippines will construct a restaurant and resort in a marina facility with an investment package of P 36.1 Million.

Creating New Tourist Products

An 18-hectare manmade lake called Lago del Rey, the biggest in the country, was opened to tourists by the Provincial Government of Camarines Sur. With the cost of P 20 Million, this new tourist product complements the wakeboarding park set up by the LGU in 2005. The facility offers family-oriented activities such as boat ride, fishing, and swimming, among others.

Anguib beach in Sta Ana, Cagayan has started to draw foreign and domestic wind and kite surfing enthusiasts because of its unspoiled natural wealth and wider and bigger reef ideal for the said sports. To promote the area, the DOT and Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) have organized a windsurfing exhibition which was highly attended by international and local windsurfers.

With increased demand for nature and wildlife adventure, the DOT and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines have jointly developed birdwatching tours in coordination with tour operators and LGUs in key destinations. The most notable bird watching sites are in Balanga Ciy, Candaba Swamp, Paitan Lake, Pantabangan Dam, Puerto Princesa, Hundred Islands National Park, Subic Bay, Olango Island and Mount Apo.

The Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, a leading conservation organization in the United Kingdom will dispatch a fact finding mission in May 2009 to assist the DOT and other agencies in the preservation and promotion of wetlands for wildlife habitat.

A sea kayak tour has also been designed by the DOT and the LGU of Alaminos in the Hundred Islands National Park in Pangasinan. Managed by the Hundred Islands Eco-Tour Association (HIETA), a community-based organization of out-of-school youth, the package involved a half- and whole-day kayak clinic and tour of the charming islets of the Hundred Islands as well as camping experience in Bolo Beach. The HIETA has been tapped by the DOT and Sun and Sea Kayaks to provide tour services during the Kayak Explore Hundred Island Summer Eco-Challenge in April 2009.

Capping on the popularity of the CamSur Wakeboarding Camp, a P500-Million Wakeboard Park will rise on a 12-hectare area in Silang, Cavite.

Increased Travel in Key Destinations

Tourist arrivals in top destinations of the country during the first quarter of 2009 grew by 10.33% for a total of 1.3 Million .

Cebu attracted the biggest volume of visitors with a share of 32% followed by Boracay (12%), Davao City (11.9%), Camarines Sur (11%), Zambales (7%), and Bohol (5%).

Domestic tourist arrivals to Puerto Princesa City and Coron in Palawan posted a record breaking growth of 392% as more flights were mounted to these destinations from Manila, Cebu, and Caticlan as well as Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. Likewise, local visitors flocked to Camarines Sur for wakeboarding, Surigao del Sur, Sorsogon (Donsol) for whale shark interaction, Zambales (Subic) for recreation, Ilocos Norte and La Union for sightseeing and beach holiday resulting in double digit gains in these destinations.

Overall, the volume of domestic tourists visiting key destinations grew faster at 13% while foreign arrivals recorded a 4% hike in the first quarter.

Cebu was the most frequently visited destination by foreign tourists with 184,790 arrivals followed by Boracay (63,903), Zambales (25,252), Camarines Sur (24,976), and Bohol (24,350).

1 Preliminary Data Tourist Accommodation Establishments