22nd Philippine Travel Mart now in SMX Convention Center MOA!

Posted by Enrico Dee on September 3, 2011

I was at the SMX Convention Center yesterday for the opening of the 22nd Philippine Travel Mart. The annual travel expo is organized by the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA). During the previous editions of the PTM, the event was held at the SM Megatrade Hall, but this year, the expo has been moved to a bigger and better venue: The SMX Convention Center.

The Philippine Travel Mart is indeed getting bigger and better each year. SMX is very spacious, more booths and pavillions are set up this year. The pavillions are bigger and very beautiful. Each region really made so much effort to promote the tourism potentials of their respective provinces. Some even brought costumes from their festivals while some even brought their local dancers. The Philippine Travel Mart is a great way to promote the local tourism. It is, after all, the biggest inbound tourism expo in the Philippines.

I checked the booths and pavillions yesterday and I was able to find several very tempting tour packages and offers, very attractive hotel room deals, cheap airfares, and a whole lot more!

I didnt buy any airline tickets nor package tours as I already have plans up until April 2012. What I did is just collect maps, flyers and brochures from various cities and provinces where I will be visiting in the next 6 months. I also had the chance to talk to several Tourism Officers and DOT Regional Directors and informed them of my plans of visiting their area soon.

I also had the chance to meet the newly appointed Department of Tourism Secretary Mr. Mon Jimwnez as he checked out the booths at the PTM. He toured the area with Mr. Cesar Cruz, President of PHILTOA, and Mark Lapid, COO of Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).

The 22nd Philippine Travel Mart runs until tomorrow September 4, 2011 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia. Entrance Fee is PHP50. discount is give to students and Senior Citizens with valid ID.