PHITEX Shines Spotlight on IoT in 2023 Cebu Edition

The Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2023, the country's premier government-organized travel trade event organized by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, makes a triumphant return to Cebu City after 16 years. The event aims to present the Philippines' finest tourism attractions, establishments, services, and products to a global audience.

The theme for this year's edition is centered on sustainability in the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), highlighting the country's digitalization and sustainability efforts to meet global demands. Moreover, PHITEX functions as an innovative knowledge-sharing platform. Through its PEPTalk module, PHITEX provides a valuable educational experience to local stakeholders and academia members in the field of tourism, offering insights into the latest advancements in IoT, data privacy, and circular economies.

“We are standing at the crossroads of a digital revolution, where the Internet of Things or IoT, promises to reshape our world. As we navigate this transformative wave, the tourism industry must stand ready. Our task is not only to embrace this digital evolution but also to champion the harmonious coexistence of tradition and modernization. This delicate balance is an expertise we, as custodians of our vibrant cultural heritage, must skillfully achieve,” said TPB Chief Operating Officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles.

PHITEX will commence on September 19 with the PHITEX Educational Program (PEP) Talk. This learning opportunity will feature discussions anchored on this year's theme, "Tourism Sustainability in the Era of IoT." Distinguished speakers, including Maria Raisa Ysaac-Orbon, Chief Marketing Officer of Packetworx Inc.; Maricel Gatchalian-Badilla, PhD., Associate Professor of UP Asian Institute of Tourism; Atty. Francis Euston R. Acero, Vice President and Data Privacy Officer of Meralco; Barry Lim, Senior Director, Public Sector & Government Practice, Frost and Sullivan-Singapore; Geoff Andres, Property President of the City of Dreams Manila; and Dawn Mendoza, Program Manager of the Philippine Financial & Inter-Industry Pride, are set to share their insights on tourism trends and sustainability practices in the digital age.

This year's edition will bring together 100 buyers from 18 countries and 168 Philippine seller delegates representing 122 companies for business-to-business interactions. TPB collaborated with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and private sector representatives to carefully screen the buyers, ensuring their quality and legitimacy.

The opening ceremonies of this two-day Travel Exchange will take place on September 20 at the Fili-Nustar Hotel. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco to grace the event alongside Nograles and other DOT officials.

PHITEX is a significant annual marketing event that not only facilitates meetings between qualified international buyers and Philippine sellers through tabletop business appointments. It also offers participants a chance to experience the beauty of Philippine tourism destinations through pre and post familiarization tours in Manila-Rizal, Cagayan de Oro-Bukidnon-Davao, Coron, Palawan, Boracay-Romblon, Cebu-Dumaguete, Pampanga-La Union, and Ilocos Norte and Sur.

For more information about PHITEX, visit https://www.phitex.ph/

TPB Goes Green Through Environmental Initiatives in the La Mesa Nature Reserve and Sierra Madre Mountain Range

 The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, the marketing and promotions arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), held its corporate social responsibility activity last August 23-24, 2023 as the agency continues to strengthen its commitment to sustainable tourism. The CSR program was done in partnership with Haribon Foundation, which provided proper awareness training, educational sessions, and hands-on environmental activities for the participants in the La Mesa Nature Reserve and the Southern Sierra Madre Mountains. Content creator Cha Ocampo also joined TPB’s CSR program, as one of the leading advocates for environmental awareness in the Philippines.

The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines recently conducted a CSR program in partnership with the Haribon Foundation. The TPB employees participated in proper awareness training, educational sessions, and hands-on environmental activities in the La Mesa Nature Reserve and the Southern Sierra Madre Mountains. 

The program kicked off in the La Mesa Nature Reserve where participants went through a guided tour of the Petron Trail. This immersive activity served as an opportunity for them to learn more about the Philippine native trees and understand the species’ importance in sustaining biodiversity. 

TPB also participated in a community native nursery activity in Tanay, Rizal to study how seedlings are correctly prepared for planting. Facilitators and community partners guided the TPB participants to increase their knowledge of forest restoration. 

Environmental advocate and content creator Cha Ocampo shared that the more people know about nature, the more they are able to understand how to conserve it. “As we were educated during the CSR program, we learned that native trees help recover and, at the same time, expand forest habitats for native species of plants and animals. They also protect watershed and freshwater resources to support the livelihood of local people. All of these new learnings are crucial information for forest conservation,” she said. 

Apart from investing in environmental education, TPB also joined the Forest for Life Movement’s Adopt-A-Seedling Program on August 24, 2023. Through this program, TPB was able to plant 1,250 native seedlings in the Southern Sierra Madre Mountain Range located in Brgy. San Andres, Tanay, Rizal. The program also included community training and nursery establishment, livelihood incentives, site preparation, and maintenance and monitoring of the seedlings for three years.

Guided by the facilitators and community partners, TPB participated in a community native nursery activity in Tanay, Rizal to study how seedlings are correctly prepared for planting.

TPB’s CSR program included community training and nursery establishment, livelihood incentives, site preparation, maintenance and monitoring of the seedlings for three years.

TPB participants and Haribon Foundation facilitators doing a tree planting activity.

These CSR activities are crucial to preserving the longest mountain range in the Philippines: the Sierra Madre. The Sierra Madre Mountain Range is not only a green tourism destination but also a water source and a barrier against strong storms for multiple cities. Thus, learning about native trees and planting native seedlings in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range can help preserve its beauty for future generations and also protect the lives of various Filipinos.

“These CSR programs are aligned with the Tourism Promotions Board’s goal of making the Philippines a sustainable and uniquely diverse travel destination. It is important for our employees to immerse themselves into these conservation activities. TPB recognizes that the Sierra Madre Mountain Range plays a vital role in the local tourism industry and the everyday lives of Filipinos. Thus, we wanted to protect the country’s longest mountain range by educating ourselves on conservation practices and planting native trees on the Sierra Madre,” said TPB’s Chief Operating Officer Margarita Montemayor Nograles. 

The native tree trek, community native nursery activity, and exclusive tree planting project are some of the CSR programs that TPB has engaged in since 2015. In fact, TPB already conducted 26 activities from Luzon to Mindanao for this year’s CSR program. TPB will continue to take part in environmental and community-based initiatives, in commitment to its goal of supporting green and sustainable tourism. 

TPB, DOT spearhead Philippines participation in Tourism Expo Japan (TEJ)

The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, together with the Department of Tourism (DOT), brings the Philippines to the Tourism Expo Japan (TEJ), the biggest travel trade fair in Japan from 22-25 September 2022.

The country’s participation in TEJ aims to reintroduce the country’s new tourism products, sustain the presence of the country, and develop and renew business partnerships, not only with the Japanese market but also with other tourism stakeholders worldwide.

Jointly organized by the Japan Travel and Tourism Association (JTTA), Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), and Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the four-day exhibition started off with business-to-business meetings to strengthen partnerships among tourism industry practitioners. The expo site will be officially open to the public on 24 September where visitors can see and experience tourism products from different countries.

This year’s expo carried the themes “Taking on the New Era: Restart” for trade and “Hello New Journey” for the general public, and with this, visitors of the Philippines booth will be treated to culture, adventure, and gastronomic offerings catering to the new and diverse trends of tourism and traveling. The Philippines will be highlighting its top tourism destinations such as Manila, Boracay, Cebu, and Bohol among others.

The country’s delegation was headed by DOT Undersecretary Shahlimar H. Tamano and TPB Officer-in-Charge Charles Aames M. Bautista, together with private sector partners from Attic Tours Phils. Inc., Bai Hotel Cebu, Bohol Beach Club, Cebu Air, Inc., Gladex Travel Services, Herald Suites Hotels, Hotel 101 Manila, Philippine Airlines, Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, and Waterfront Hotels & Casinos.

“Tourism Expo Japan opens an avenue for every national tourism organization to stimulate demand for overseas and domestic travel. The Philippines has so much to offer with our 7,641 islands. This is an opportunity to showcase that beyond our amazing beaches, we get to highlight our adventure, culinary, wellness, and MICE offerings,” said TPB OIC Bautista.

DOT Undersecretary Tamano will represent the Philippines as one of the panelists in the Ministerial Round Table Discussion to tackle on “Climate Change – Tourism Stakeholders’ Endeavors” and “Coexisting with COVID in the Post-Pandemic World – Solutions for the New Tourism Industry” with other tourism ministers and key representatives from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

TEJ is expecting to receive 150,000 visitors with 1,800 exhibitors from 154 countries and 47 prefectures. The event has become an important brand exercise for national tourism offices in Asia showcasing destination attractions and product offerings.