Of beaches, backpacking and gay tourism

For many tourists, the Philippines is all about the beaches a beautiful cocktail of powdery white sand, glassy blue waters and an inviting island lifestyle that very few find difficult to resist.But this country is not just about the beaches, as visitors may soon find out when the 18th Travel Tour Expo opens on Feb. 18.

 The travel mart, which gathers some of the top travel agencies and tour operators in the country, will not only showcase some of the country’s best beach destinations, but some of its hidden wonders as well.“Travel has become so much easier nowadays, what with all the budget-friendly deals that are being offered,” says Pat Alberto, chair of the 18th Travel Tour Expo 2011 and the immediate past President of Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), which is organizing the event.

The upcoming travel mart, which lasts until Feb. 20, is dubbed “Around the World in Three Days” and will be held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

From adventure packages to pink tours

Filipinos love to travel. As a matter of fact, much of our business right now comes from domestic travellers—and not all of them are headed for beach destinations.“Of course, there will always be visitors who would ask about Boracay, or Palawan—Dumaguete is an emerging destination—but nowadays, a lot of tourists are interested in places like Caramoan and Danao, which offer adventure tourism. And not just backpackers—people are crazy for all that trekking and ziplining stuff,” says Alberto.

But adventure tourism is just one side of the Philippine experience. The country is being positioned as a multifaceted destination—a must stop for shoppers, foodies, religious groups, and even, the third sex.“I’ve had inquiries about setting up a pink tour for gay groups,” laughs Alberto.

“We’re already known as a shopping destination. Medical tourism is also becoming popular. Now we are pushing our religious pilgrimages and culinary tours. Altogether, things are looking up for Philippine tourism.”

Private sector efforts

The Philippines managed to shore up a respectable increase in tourism traffic, despite a Europe-wide ban on visitors to the country last year, thanks to visitors from South Korea, Australia, India and other Asian countries who helped fill in the vacuum.

“This is due, in large part, to the efforts of the private sector to promote the Philippines,” says Alberto.This is why, she says, travel marts are very important for travellers. Visitors will no be able to ask travel agents what to expect with regards to their intended destination, they can also get good deals that not even an internet booking can give.

“You might think, for example, that a two-tickets-for-the-price-of-one deal on the internet is a steal, but if you calculate it, you might be shelling out almost as much as the full price. Whereas a travel agent may give you a rate that’s ultimately lower than that.”

Around the world in 3 days

At the upcoming PTAA expo, for instance, visitors can expect an extravaganza of deals, as well as loads of showstopping performances, says Alberto.“All exhibitors will be offering huge discounts on travel packages, products, and services. There will be programs at the stage area every hour, exciting raffle prizes and giveaways to buyers of packages and tickets.”

The TravelTour Expo is the flagship exhibition of the 512-member PTAA. There will be 256 companies (occupying 472 booths) from the Philippines, Asia, Middle East, North America, South America, South Africa, and Europe. Participants include airline companies; cruise operators; domestic tour operators; government agencies, embassies, and national tourism organizations; hotels and resorts, international tour operators, travel shops, and other tourism related companies.

Co-organized and supported by the Department of Tourism, TravelTour Expo is open to the public for a minimal entrance fee of P50 and P20 for senior citizens.

Source = manilastandardtoday