DAVAO CITY – New flights in Clark are creating tourism and business opportunities, according to industry leaders with years of experience in tourism promotions and travel industry here and in Pampanga.
“The new flights in Clark have opened new destinations for us, to go visit not only Pampanga but also Subic, Central and Northern Luzon, which otherwise would have been very expensive for us,” said Regina Rosa Tecson, officer-in-charge, Davao City tourism office in an interview after the business meeting organized by the Department of Tourism Regional Office 3 and 11 held at Park Inn by Radisson Davao recently.
The business meeting was part of three-day AirAsia-sponsored Pampanga-Davao Tourism Exchange (PDTE) last July 28-30.
“It opens opportunities for us to go to Clark and Manila via Clark without passing through EDSA and NAIA,” she added.
Tecson said she liked “sisig” and she frequently visits Pampanga to have a taste of the country’s “culinary capital”.
Promoting tourism in Central Luzon and nearby provinces is possible because of Clark and Davao airports said Prisca Castor, president, of Pampanga Agents Travel Society (PATS). The group is composed of 40 travel agents and allied members of hotels and tour operators from Manila.
“We’re very excited with the new flights in Clark. Everybody is excited to travel,” she added,” said Castor.
Castor has been in the travel industry since 1985. She lauded the efforts of DOT R3 and DOT R11 for organizing the PDTE.
“It’s an opportunity for Pampanga agents as well as Davao agents to synergize, to get to know each other and to make linkages amongst themselves,” said Castor who is also the proprietress of Metro Angeles Travel, an Angeles City-based travel agency.
For foodies, visitors may go around one town to another to taste different delicacies and foods according to Castor.
Some travel agents also offer heritage tour packages according to Castor. The tour includes Museo Ning Angeles, Center for Kapampangan Studies of the Holy Angel University, Holy Rosary Parish Church and the historical Pamintuan Mansion, among others.
For his part, Edmund Mayormita, head of Visit Davao Fun Sale Tours Consortium (VDFSTC) said the business activity is a welcome development to promote travel and tourism trade between Pampanga and Davao.
“This PDTE is a very welcome activity specially for us. Also, we would like to take advantage of the direct flights between the two destinations,” said Mayormita.
Mayormita has been in the travel industry since 1990. He is also the president and general manager of Travel Advantage, a Davao-based travel agency.
“Hopefully we can send and we will also receive visitors from Clark,” he added.
VDFSTC is composed of 12 tour operators from Davao. The group is in charge of creating tour packages for Davao. Every year, the 12 consortium members go out and sell Davao to other destinations in the Philippines.
The PDTE was also supported by Lumad Konsult Travel and tours, Park Inn by Radisson Davao, The Royal Mandaya Hotel, Infinity Suites, Pinnacle Hotel, Apo View Hotel, Casa Leticia and Ritz Hotel.
With the recent familiarization tour in Cebu and Davao, the DOT 3 is determined to boost the tourism industry in Pampanga including the seven provinces in Central Luzon.
The Pampanga delegation was accompanied by Carolina Uy, chief tourism operations officer; Chriselle May Yambao, supervising tourism officer; and Allen Gonzales, tourism operations officer all from DOT-Central Luzon.
Representatives from the Tourism Promotions Division of Clark Development Corporation; tourism offices in Pampanga and Angeles City; marketing and sales personnel from Park Inn by Radisson Clark; Widus Hotel and Casino; Quest Hotel and Conference Clark; and Royce Hotel and Casino and Pampanga tour operators have joined the PDTE.