Not too long ago, the Global Tourism Business Association (GTBA) and OneKlik Events staged another opportunity for local residents to make their travel dreams come true… at a bargain!
The three-day Travel Sale Expo (TSE) reeled off at SM Megamall with 201 booths offering affordable travel-related deals, attracting approximately 50,000 visitors and customers to the venue.
Now on its third year, TSE has become a favorite of those who plan on traveling around the country or to other parts of the world within their hard-earned budget. Travel trade practitioners, business travelers, holidaymakers, incentive and convention planners, government officers, and SME entrepreneurs filled the venue throughout its weekend run. There were also quite a number of customers for halal businesses, which were prominently featured during the Expo.
On hand to cut the ceremonial ribbon was a bevy of foreign diplomats, aside, of course, from Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and TSE Chairperson Michelle Taylan. There were Guam Senator Shelley Calvo, Indonesian Ambassador Agus Widjojo, Indian Ambassador Harsh Kumar Jain, Vietnamese Ambassador Lai Thai Binh, Israeli Ambassador Dana Kursh, and Taiwan Head of Mission Wallace M.G. Chow.
During her keynote address, Tourism Secretary Frasco emphasized the importance of tourism as a driver of livelihoods and a source of national pride, underscoring how the industry continues to uplift Filipino communities and small businesses.
Secretary Frasco also read the congratulatory message of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the Expo participants, who were “showcasing their exceptional tourist destinations and other products and services, potentially becoming a catalyst for many to discover what the world has to offer.” The President also emphasized that “through our collective efforts, we will achieve a more vibrant and rewarding tourism industry in this era of a Bagong Pilipinas.”
What made the Travel Sale Expo even more interesting and different from other travel expos was the various youth-oriented events that drew in the Gen Z crowd and their creativity. There was the “Love The Philippines” Dance Competition, which was won by the National University Dance Company.
Another interesting highlight of the event was the Cosplay Competition, which was won by a certain Danilo Relent, who dressed up perfectly as Ironman. Of course, what would a Filipino celebration be without some musical talent display? The featured singer and television personality is Darren Espanto.
For those involved in the travel and tourism industry, the Expo also featured some business-to-business sessions, product updates, and mini-conferences discussing the latest travel trends, among others that kept the industry’s stakeholders busy throughout the event’s three-day run.
I was impressed to see some very colorful booths, like those of Indonesia Tourism, Taiwan, Batanes, the Malaysian Embassy, and many others. Airlines had a heyday selling heavily discounted fares, which was why droves of customers were seen milling around the booths of United Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Saudia Airlines, AirAsia, and Sunlight Air.
As early as now, the indefatigable Michelle Taylan, TSE’s chairperson, is gearing up for next year’s fourth edition, which she stressed will be even bigger than the recently concluded one. Information on the Expo’s 2026 edition is available through +63917 102 1320 and gtbaph@gmail.com.
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YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE:
TEACHER: Timmy, if I have 5 cats and give them all to you, how many cats will you have?
TIMMY: 6
TEACHER: No, Timmy, I gave you only 5 cats, so you can’t have more than that.
TIMMY: Yes, I can. I already have a damn cat!
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For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com.
