"The TPB continues to fulfill its mandate to promote the Philippines."
With the country’s vaccination rollout nearing the 15-million mark for the fully inoculated, the Tourism Board of the Philippines, marketing and promotions arms of the Department of Tourism, is pushing all-in to revitalize the country’s tourism industry.
Recently, the TPB announced the opening of registration for the 20th edition of the Philippine Travel Exchange or Phitex, known as the biggest government organized travel trade event in the country.
For the second year in a row, Phitex will be held as a hybrid event in light of the pandemic with Subic Bay as the new venue for the online business-to-business or B2B sessions and networking scheduled to take place on September 19-23.
This year’s theme will highlight safe, smart, and sustainable tourism as part of the TPB’s strategic marketing plan for the new normal.
“Last year’s Phitex was about pivoting as we had to face the challenges of going hybrid and leveraging on technology more than ever to conduct our business. Thankfully, it was a resounding success, so we are very much excited to pick up where we left off but with a clearer perspective this time around because we are no longer adjusting. We are about moving forward and making significant decisions that will create a better normal for the industry,” TPB Chief Operating Officer Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones said.
In 2020, Phitex was held as a hybrid event for the first time in Panglao, Bohol being one of the first tourism destinations to reopen during the pandemic. Apart from the virtual B2B sessions, the event featured online games, quizzes, and a curated virtual tour of the City of Manila.
The event also established 3,946 contacts, generated 1,205 leads, and secured 76 on-site bookings with a projected revenue of over PHP 42 million.
This year, Phitex is targeting more than a hundred buyers and sellers. For Philippine sellers, those who are interested to join must be DOT-accredited or a TPB member. For foreign buyers, qualification includes companies that are already selling the Philippines but would want to enhance their tour programs or those not selling the Philippines but would want to include the country in their respective programs.
Here’s wishing for Phitex’s success.
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And of course, with the Delta variant of the COVID-19, striking hard, the key to revitalizing the country’s tourism industry should be anchored on safety and health among domestic tourists
In this regard, the TPB has produced and distributed 15,000 sets of materials to promote safe travel domestically. A total of 8,800 DOT-accredited accommodation establishments and tourism enterprises were provided the health and safety protocol stickers and posters to prepare them for re-accreditation in line with the DOT-led “Safe Trip, Pinas” domestic tourism campaign.
The initiative is part of the DOT-TPB efforts to support tourism stakeholders hard-hit by the pandemic in their ability to comply with new safety protocols and standards to ensure confidence among local tourists as destinations gradually reopened in September 2020.
“Got our DOT accreditation certificate, thanks to the TPB for the social distancing stickers”, Ms. Emy Poonmark of EMSEA Travel Hub noted as she expressed how the materials helped them prepare their establishment to welcome back clients.
Ms. Ria Eguia, another TPB member, gratefully acknowledged this initiative, saying the kit was really helpful.
TPB noted that while the distribution of these materials was adversely affected by border closures and mobility restrictions within the country last year, all of these materials have been distributed as to date.
Despite global border restrictions halting leisure travel, the TPB continues to fulfill its mandate to promote the Philippines, with a renewed focus to position the country’s tourism sites as safe and fun destinations.