Buyers from Singapore, Malaysia coming for NorthPhil expo

Singaporean and Malaysian wholesale buyers of travel packages and tourism products are coming over to join the North Philippines (NorthPhil) Tourism and Travel Expo 2011, which will be held at the Event Centre of SM City Clark Freeport Zone on Nov. 11-14.

“These foreign travel agents will figure out prominently in NorthPhil Expo’s Buyers Meet Sellers Program scheduled on Saturday, November 12 wherein foreign travel trade buyers from Malaysia and Singapore meet Philippine tourism sellers, said Central Luzon Director Ronnie P. Tiotuico of the Department of Tourism (DOT).

“The program will enable local sellers to transact business with the foreign buyers, who will actually become our marketing agents in their respective countries and promote the North Philippines to their captive clientele,” Tiotuico explained.

“This annual expo, therefore, is steadily evolving into a global marketing event highlighting the North Philippines as an international and domestic tourism hub and contributing to the DOT’s product, brand and market development efforts,” Tiotuico added.

Both the Malaysian and Singaporean buyers will be flown in by Cebu Pacific (CEB) as the expo’s airline partner.

Among the country’s airlines, CEB has the most number of domestic and ASEAN destinations from the Philippines. It was also the first domestic airline to base its operations in Clark. Thus, expo participants can book the lowest possible fares on inter-island flights from Clark, Manila, Cebu and Davao.

From Clark, the guests can also book flights to Cebu, Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok, and from Manila to Cauayan or Tuguegarao.

The lowest possible fares for one-way flights from Clark to international destinations start at P999, to Cebu or from Manila to Cauayan at P1,099 and from Manila to Tuguegarao at P699.

“We continue to encourage travel from CEB’s Clark hub to further boost North Luzon….,” said CEB vice president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog.

CEB is among several international airlines contributing significantly to the inflow of tourists to North Philippines through the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark.

International passenger traffic at the DMIA reportedly reached 607,704 in 2011 and still growing strong.

DMIA is strategically connected by the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) to the Subic Freeport Zone, another international gateway making North Philippines a natural hub for both foreign and domestic tourists.

Constituting North Philippines are the Cordilleras Autonomous Region (CAR), Ilocos and Pangasinan (Region 1), Cagayan Valley (Region 2), and Central Luzon (Region 3).

Tourism establishments and travel firms from those regions comprise the bulk of the exhibitors at the NorthPhil Expo 2011, which involves exhibits, special events, and social and business functions.

The tourism exhibits will feature the pavilions of the destination partners namely Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Clark Development Corporation and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, the DOT regional offices in the Cordilleras, Ilocos and Pangasinan, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon, and the corporate booths of various tourism-related businesses. This year’s expo will also be participated in by DOT regional offices from Visayas and Mindanao.

To be showcased in the exhibit booths and pavilions are popular, new and emerging tourism destinations, attractions, and products and services that are unique to each region.

The special events include theatrical and cultural presentations, corporate game shows, product presentations, raffle draws, and crafts and culinary demonstrations.

The event is spearheaded by the DOT Regional Offices in North Philippines and is fully supported by its corporate sponsors, Ensogo, Manila North Tollways Corporation, The Manor at Camp John Hay, Richmond Hotel and Holiday Inn-Clark. More information can be obtained from the Event Manager- Philippine Exhibits and Themeparks Corporation (PETCO) (tel. [632] 8329303 to 05, fax [632] 5562723, email northphilexpo@gmail.com, and website www.northphilexpo.com).