A long-running tourism expo in North Philippines has emerged as an international event that is expected to bring visitors from all over the country and the rest of the world to prime travel destinations in this part of the archipelago.
“The forthcoming NorthPhil [North Philippines] Tourism and Travel Expo is our contribution to the Visit Philippines Year 2015 by inviting some of the world’s key players to this event as an offshoot of last June’s international MICE [meetings, incentive travel, conventions and events] Conference, which propelled the region into the league of prime international convention hubs,” said Tourism Central Luzon director Ronnie Tiotuico.
“In fact, the year 2015 marks the 10th anniversary of the NorthPhil Expo, making it a special edition with a high festive intensity that characterizes the passion of its organizers and the rest of the tourism industry,” Tiotuico said of the trade show which will be held at the Events Center of SM City in Clark Freeport Zone on Nov. 13 to15.
The show carries the theme “Celebrating a Decade of Tourism Diversity” to highlight the rich and diverse nature and culture of North Philippines despite being mostly a single landmass, accounting for around half of the Luzon mainland and making it worth having two major international gateways – the Clark International Airport and the Subic Freeport – both posting sustained increases in passenger and cargo traffic and helping turn the entire northern region into a vast mall of tourism destinations and attractions.
“Those unique features of North Philippines will be captured in the NorthPhil Expo Memorabilia comprising photos of the trade show over the last 10 years, particularly the exhibits showcasing certain milestones in the region’s tourism development,” Tiotuico said, proudly hinting of a spectacle befitting an international audience.
Participants in the event can apply as an exhibitor through www.northphilexpo.com. The annual event is credited by Tiotuico and other key tourism industry players for helping sustain the growth in visitor arrivals in the region by serving as an important domestic and international marketing venue.
Central Luzon alone posted a 21-percent year-on-year increase in visitor volume from 2.7 million in 2013 to 3.1 million in 2014.
“This [growth] trend holds true for the rest of North Philippines and other regions, highlighting the importance of sustained marketing to get everybody included in the country’s Tourism Philippines brand and contribute to its attainment of global prominence. Continuing brand reinvigoration and reinforcement is a responsibility of all of its constituents,” Tiotuico said.
Primarily constituting the organizers of NorthPhil Expo are the regional tourism offices in Ilocandia, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and the Cordillera Autonomous Region in partnership with the Association of Tourism Officers of Central Luzon and the Philippine Exhibits and Themeparks Corporation.
The expo is also open to exhibitors from other Philippine regions and those from other countries. This year, around 130 exhibit booths are available for tourism-related entities, local government units, traders, small and medium enterprises, DOT offices, and foreign convention and visitors bureaus.
The show attracts an ever-increasing number of visitors from business, trade and tourism organizations, MICE organizers and planners, educational institutions, international and domestic travelers, local and foreign corporate buyers, tour organizers and holiday specialists, travel agents and tour operators, and the general public.
Featured are tourism destinations, products, services, provincial pavilions, corporate booths, tour packages, retail outlets, arts and crafts, souvenirs and regional delicacies, tourism estates and property attractions, and a NorthPhil Expo memorabilia showcase.
Also constituting the event are the NorthPhil Expo Quiz Bee Challenge, corporate game shows, raffle draws, cultural presentations, arts and craft demos, and interactive games.
Invited to the expo’s opening ceremony are prominent travel and trade personalities, government officials and other dignitaries.