THE Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) is estimating a significant 20 per cent increase in sales over 2012 at its recently concluded Philippine Travel Tour Expo 2013, where takings were buoyed by the favourable exchange rate and a dramatic rise in domestic travel.
Aileen Clemente, PTAA’s outgoing president, said 2012’s receipts had totalled 310 million pesos (US$7.7 million), while there were eight per cent more exhibitors this year compared to 2012.
She added that longhaul travel had become more attractive because of the peso’s rise against the greenback, as well as package discounts of up to 20 per cent at the fair, which was held between February 15 and 17.
Clemente pointed out that this year’s show offered a mix of traditional and upcoming destinations, with new regional hotspots such as Johor Bahru, Bhutan, Nepal, Jogjakarta and Komodo.
Pacita Jose, managing director at Trusty Travel & Tours and PTAA executive vice president, remarked: “Visitors came with money in their pockets and with the intention to buy.”
This year’s expo saw more domestic exhibitors being added to the show, spotlighting nine local destinations for the year: Baler, Bataan, and Tuguegarao in northern Luzon; Mindoro; the Camotes Islands and Leyte, both in the Visayas; and Davao, Samal Island and Siargao in Mindanao.
The expo was also the launch pad for the Solaire Resort and Casino integrated resort in Manila, which opens its mall and casino area on March 16 and the 488-room hotel on May 1, as well as Cebu Pacific’s first longhaul air link, Manila-Dubai, launching in October.
Department of Tourism (DoT) assistant secretary, Benito Bengzon, Jr, pointed out in a pre-show briefing that domestic tourism “exceeded 30 million travellers in 2012 and provides the country with eight times what we currently earn from foreign tourists”. The DoT expects 35 million domestic travellers this year.
