ANGELES CITY — The culinary capital of the Philippines will be showcased in the upcoming Pampanga-Davao Tourism Exchange (PDTE) organized by the Department of Tourism Regions 3 and 11 to be held on July 28-30 at Park Inn Davao.
Regional Director Ronaldo Tiotuico, of the Department of Tourism in Central Luzon, said they are determined to boost the tourism industry in Pampanga including the seven provinces in the region.
Tiotuico said they are conducting a series familiarization tours and business-to-business sessions focused on creating a network among their stakeholders in various regions.
“We are doing this event (fam tour) to develop inter-regional tourism exchange program where stakeholders (travel agents and hotel owners) from our region would have an opportunity to network with their counterpart from other regions,” said Tiotuico.
PDTE is the second leg of the series of tourism exchange programs being conducted by the DOT3. It is a business activity that seeks to link travel agencies, tour operators and hotel industry in Pampanga and Davao.
“That’s why included in the program is the business – to – business (B2B) where both parties would have a chance to exchange tour packages for marketing and promotion,” Tiotuico added.
This year, various airlines launched their flights from Clark to several domestic destinations including Cebu, Davao, Puerto Princesa, Busuanga among others.
To support these flights, the DOT R3 will be supporting the airline with its promotion and marketing of tourism products by coordinating with tour operators, hotels and restaurants from both Pampanga and Davao, according Chriselle Yambao, DOT 3 supervising tourism officer.
“The challenge posed to us is how to persuade tourists from the South to visit Central Luzon,” Yambao added.
Yambao furthered that tour operators and representatives are advised to prepare local tour packages, including brochures and rate sheets.
According to Yambao, aside from choosing Clark as their gateway, their goal is for visitors to explore Pampanga and nearby provinces. However, she told the tour operators and hotels to prioritize their promotions on the seven provinces of Central Luzon.
Yambao said the first leg of the tourism exchange held in Cebu last February was “successful and productive”. AirAsia is sponsoring the project with the support of hotel owners in Davao.
The regional tourism office also encouraged the Provincial Government of Pampanga, Angeles City and Clark Development Corporation to take advantage of the project and “be ready for this opportunity to showcase the developed tours of the province,” as stated in PDTE’s project brief.
Some local tour packages showcases the culinary, culture and heritage of Pampanga and aerial tour for Mt. Pinatubo.
Ten tour operators will be coming from Pampanga along with representatives from some hotels in Clark. On the other hand, at least 20 buyers (counterpart in Davao) are expected to be present during the PDTE.