The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), will expand its domestic footprint with the commencement of the 5th Regional Travel Fair (RTF) in the City of Golden Friendship, Cagayan de Oro.
Supported by the Local Government Units (LGUs) of Northern Mindanao, the RTF aims to promote and strengthen domestic tourism by encouraging travelers to discover more of the Philippines year-round.
Around 100participants from different travel trade sectors, government agencies, and exhibitors, including local travel and tour agencies, hotels, resorts, and airline operators, are expected to be on board at the Limketkai Center from August 23-24to showcase the best of the Philippines.
The RTF program includes a 2-day business-to-consumer (B2C) expo wherein exhibitors shall offer exclusive and affordable tour packages that will ultimately increase the volume of domestic travellers around the country. Additionally, a half-day travel exchange (TRAVEX) table-top session will take place for participating buyers and sellers to generate direct sales and business leads, meet new partners and renew deals.
Through the event, the TPB will highlight how domestic visitors play a significant role in the entire Philippine tourism industry. The domestic tourism expenditure, or the amount of money that local visitors have spent inside the country for a domestic trip, is at ₱3.2 Trillion in 2018, representing 24.9% of the household final consumption expenditure (HFCE), according to the latest data from DOT.