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By Rommel C. Lontayao, Reporter
More members of the Taiwan travel industry are
coming into the country for incentive tour groups, conferences and
other business travel activities, the Department of Tourism (DOT)
reported yesterday.
Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said the
observation was made following the recent arrival of over 200
Taiwanese participating in the last series of incentive tours during
the first quarter of 2008.
“The combined efforts of our local travel
trade and the [tourism] department are making headway not only in
reaching more of the Taiwan travel market, but also in propping up
the Philippines as one of Asia’s top venues for corporate
events,” Durano said.
The DOT noted that the 131-strong group from the
Taiwan subsidiary of global sports wear brand Adidas toured the
various historical and cultural around Manila as well as shopping
and entertainment centers during their four-day stay.
Meanwhile, 73 members from Tachong Bank’s
sales group went to Palawan for a two-week holiday. The Taipei-based
company, according to the DOT, is one of the major providers of
consumer and corporate banking services.
“The demand for convention and business travel
services is very palpable. The country’s strengths lie in our
ability to offer various activities, attractions and destinations,
and the warm and professional Filipino staff ready to assist tour
groups,” Durano explained.
He added that big volumes coupled with a
tendency to stay long and spend more are what make corporate tour
groups attractive to the local travel trade industry.
To this, the DOT said it has been actively
promoting the country’s Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and
Events (MICE) facilities not only to the Taiwan market, but in other
Asian countries as well.
Early this year, the tourism department took
part in the 16th Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo, which
was held in Melbourne, Australia, which was touted as one of the top
events in the Asia Pacific region for the MICE industry.
“Our staff was busy entertaining queries from
Australian organizers that planned to send groups of around 200 to
2,500 people to the Philippines as early as the first day and
continued to do so for rest of the event,” reported Tourism Attaché
Consuelo Jones.
With Metro Manila currently considered to be the
hub for conferences, expositions and other international trade
activities, the DOT said it is also prepping up Cebu City, Subic and
Clark to be the next centers for MICE.
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