By Azer N. Parrocha
MANILA, (PNA) — The Philippine Travel Mart (PTM) kicked off Friday, which brought together both local and regional major tourism industries—350 local exhibitors showcasing destination and tour products from all over the country.
PTM, organized by the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA),in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT) will run until Sept. 8 (Sunday) at SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
It is part of the 1st Philippine Tourism Forum which will tackle ways to make tourism accessible for all and will also feature the industry’s first-ever Tourism Town Hall meeting.
The event will set the private sector’s general direction for 2015 and lay the groundwork for the industry’s compliance to regional standards.
PHILTOA will also organize the Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX), a travel trade initiative to raise inbound tourism to over 90 international buyers originating from Europe, U.S.A. and Asia as part of the DOT’s efforts to meet its target of 10 million inbound tourists by 2016.
Also part of the event is Trabaho sa Turismo, a job fair for interested individuals who are interested in a career growth in the tourism industry.
It will also include the 24th Philippine Travel Mart, the largest and longest-running local travel trade show.
New destinations for travelers of all types will also be unveiled. Meanwhile, joint group tours that cover destinations across various parts of the Philippines will be sold at discounts of up to 70 percent.