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By merely observing, the Department of Tourism has
concluded that Chinese tourists, particularly those from Hong Kong,
consider the following in deciding their next out-of-town holiday:
accessibility; easy application of visas; and availability of
Chinese food.
No wonder, tourists from Hong
Kong are beginning to flock to the Philippines.
“The Department markets the
Philippines as the nearest playground for Hong Kongers. And we have
enjoyed a strong presence in this market because of this. Our goal
for this year is to build up on the existing campaign and open up
more exciting activities for them to experience,” Tourism
Secretary Ace Durano said.
He said the department recently
showed visitors at the 2008 Hong Kong International Travel Expo that
“there’s more to the Philippines than what they already know.”
Held recently at the Hong Kong
Convention and Exhibition Centre, the four-day travel expo is
considered the foremost travel event in Asia. This year’s fair
brought together 650 exhibitors, representing 50 countries around
the world.
The Philippines exhibited its own
highlights, particularly nature and adventure sites, which was
spiced up by lively song-and-dance performances, a playful
whaleshark mascot and a mango juice bar.
Extra large posters of rainforest
canopy trekking, caving, diving, island exploration, whale watching
and surfing served as the backdrop of the Philippine pavilion,
putting a new dimension to the “Play Around” tagline the Tourism
department has developed for the Hong Kong market.
“Many Hong Kongers spend their
pastimes shopping and enjoying the city lights. The Philippines
challenges this formula by having not only the usual urban
attractions but also genuine eco-tourism adventures. We’re showing
them that there are so many things to do while on vacation—and
that it is just a two-hour flight away,” explained Rica Bueno,
head of the department’s marketing team for Asia Pacific.
Hong Kong is the seventh leading
source of tourists for the Philippines. Visitor arrivals from this
country reached 40,064 from January to April 2008. This figure is 7
percent better than the traffic reported during the same period last
year.
--Rommel C. Lontayao
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