The Department of Tourism (DOT) held the country’s first international MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) event on May 27 via a hybrid set-up amid the challenges of travel restrictions.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association virtual Adventure Travel Conference and Mart (PATA-vATCM) annual summit held at the Hilton Clark Sun Valley Resort, Clark Freeport, Pampanga was hosted this year by the DOT along with the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) to boost the industry’s confidence toward tourism recovery.
The PATA travel mart is a niche event that brings together tourism stakeholders from the public and the private sector to discuss the creation of new opportunities in tourism amid the pandemic.
According to Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat during its opening, this year’s hosting is a big leap in the pursuit of the safe reopening of the Philippines’s tourism destinations. “This event is a testament that the Philippines is a trailblazer in hybrid events and that we can show the world that MICE can be done safely,” she said.
Through a hybrid set up, the travel mart gathered 300 participants—60 of whom were only allowed on-site as adherence to minimum health standard protocols. Over 35 Philippine sellers participated in the business-to-business and networking activities done virtually.
Adventure in focus
This year’s summit is focused on reviving adventure and responsible tourism as a specified tourism product.
Puyat said, “Being primarily an outdoor activity, and with obvious resemblance to the baseline requirement for a healthy and safe travel, it presents an opportunity for a strong reversal and onward growth.”
The tourism chief noted that adventure tourism has been recognized as a global tourism trend. This is an edge of the country boasting of unique 7,641 islands with various unique destinations and activities to offer.
Moreover, Undersecretary Benito C. Bengzon is optimistic about PHL’s adventure and nature-based tourist sites as these are open-air, low-density but high-value destinations. Bengzon cited travel activities such as whale shark watching, mountaineering, and biking as some of the activities tourists can still enjoy.
Regenerative tourism
Puyat highlighted DOT’s Tourism Response and Recovery Plan (TRRP), a strategy to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and generate solutions. TRRP is in partnership with private-sector stakeholders through the Tourism Congress of the Philippines and in consultation with the World Bank.
The main objectives of the TRRP are to protect and ensure employment and business survival and enable the government and private sector to work cohesively toward a sustainable and resilient tourism industry for the future. TRRP also aims to provide policies and guidelines for the new normal.
“The said master plan will aid the industry to regain consumer confidence through enjoining the public and private sector to work together on aligning programs and plans that will promote a more responsible, safe, and sustainable reopening of the industry,” Bengzon said.
Bengzon added that it signifies the imperative contribution of the Department in advocating regeneration of the tourism industry for the long-term success of the Philippine Tourism Industry as it also renews tourism’s relationship with nature, society and economy.
Meanwhile, he acknowledged the challenges that were born out of the pandemic, including waste management related to the rapid acceleration in the rate of consumption for single-use materials such as masks, possible hyperinflation that could injure local economies when tourism activities restart, and the issue of unemployment and vulnerability to exploitation of marginalized groups. He said that a balanced approach factoring in economic viability, job generation, and environmental sustainability should be adopted to address these concerns.
Bengzon mentioned that aside from sustainability, regeneration of tourism should also be put into mainstream discussion. “This should be the focus as this earth is our common heritage that also holds the key to our common future.”
Image courtesy of DOT photo