The Philippine Travel Mart 2010

September 6, 2010 at 1:39 pm | Posted in Group travel, Philippines | 1 Comment
Tags: blogsherpa, dot sec alberto lim, first-time travel, Manila, Philippines, philtoa, travel, travel mart

I always visit the Philippine Travel Expo which is held every February. It’s a long wait for that month so when I learned of the Philippine Travel Mart, which occurred last weekend, I immediately grabbed the opportunity to visit the event.

Photo by Claire Algarme

Organized by the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), it was all about the various regions, provinces, and destinations in the Philippines. As I bought my ticket at the counter, I was given two stickers so I can stick on my favorite pavilions. I liked the Central Visayas pavilion, featuring Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Bohol, and Cebu. Of course, as I am from Bacolod City, I visited the Western Visayas booth where my province, Negros Occidental, is located.

Photo by Claire Algarme

Davao brought their products, as well as their Mutya ng Davao, who was a major attraction among the visitors.? Camarines Sur had a colorful booth as it highlighted its beaches, islands, and the water sports complex.

Photo by Claire Algarme

Resorts, hotels, tour operators, and airlines also had their booths set up in the Travel Mart. While going around visiting various booths, I saw a high school classmate and a schoolmate. One works in a hotel in Makati while another is associated with a hotel in Bacolod.

As I was about to leave the venue with a bagful of brochures, maps, and literatures, I heard that the new Department of Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim was gracing the event. I waited? for a while to hear him speak. He was delighted to find many people attending the Philippine Travel Mart as our country’s tourism has recently experienced various challenges. With the many Filipinos who trooped to the expo, I also hope that local tourism would give our country a boost it currently needs.

DOT Sec. Lim. Photo by Claire Algarme

With the many beautiful places in the Philippines, I am more than willing to explore my very own country. I hope that others will also find their way to our beautiful beaches and rich cultural sites. As the theme of the Philippine Travel Mart, I can also say “Wow, Philippines! I love the Philippines!”

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