There are many reasons to travel around the Philippines, more than its 7,641 islands. As tourism in the country opens after the pandemic, I got the awesome opportunity to see more of the country. During those travels, I got to learn more about our culture and heritage; and the passionate people who work to make tourism more lively – from the tourism heads, tour operators, and even the local tour guides.
It is an exciting year for tourism in the Philippines as The Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) is set to stage the 34th Philippine Travel Mart (PTM), the biggest annual fair focused on promoting popular and emerging tourist destinations in the country. The event will take place September 1-3, 2023, at the SMX Convention Center Manila, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.
The media launch which was held at the Admiral Hotel in Manila last July 27th was attended by the Tourism Promotions Board, Marga Nograles, PHILTOA board members, Tourism stakeholders, tour operators, hoteliers, media guests, and travel content creators.
TPB’s Marga Nograles lauds PHILTOA’s Philippine Travel Mart for its strong performance last year -50,000 foot traffic and P 60M revenue. She also cited the organization’s role in helping _our tourism sectors bounce.
The Philippine Travel Mart will host 300 exhibitors from all 17 regions of the Philippines. It is the perfect time to plan and book upcoming travels with special discounts from hotels, resorts, travel agencies, tour operators, and tourism offices available only for on-the-spot bookings.
Here are some of the destinations with strong demands for packaged tours:
Baguio
Boracay
Cebu
Palawan
Here are the hidden gems that I also plan to explore soon!
Zamboanga Peninsula
Quirino
Soccsksargen
(South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos)
PHILTOA President Fe Abling Yu shares “Our travel fair is not only a showcase of our country’s destination, but also a celebration of our industry’s resilience”.
During the event, Philippine Airlines, the airline partner of this year’s Philippine Travel Mart announced that it would soon fly to Borongan, Samar which would hopefully open discoveries to places in Cebu and other parts of Samar.
Last year, Philippine Tourism focused on the colorful culture of Mindanao, and while they want to continuously support the local units, they aim to highlight emerging destinations like Marinduque, Quirino, and Isabela, Basilan.
Traveling to new destinations is a lot more convenient with new properties opening from Chroma Hospitality Inc, Hotel 101 Group, and Discovery Hospitality Corporation.
Visit the 34th Philippine Travel Mart happening on September 1 to 3, 2023, at the SMX Convention Center Manila, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. For more information, visit their website philtravelmart.com, or follow their Facebook and Instagram pages @Philtravelmart.
