The Department of Tourism (DOT) recently reported that more members of the Taiwan travel industry are considering the Philippines as a destination for incentive tour groups, conferences and other business travel activities.

This observation follows the recent arrival of over 200 Taiwanese participating in the last series incentive tours of this country during the first quarter of 2008.

Ace Durano, Secretary of Tourism, said “The combined efforts of our local travel trade and the Department are making headway not only in reaching more of the Taiwan travel market, but also in propping up the Philippines as one of Asia’s top venues for corporate events.”

The 131-strong group from the Taiwan subsidiary of global sports wear brand Adidas toured the various historical and cultural around Manila. Shopping and entertainment were also in place during their four-day stay.

Meanwhile, 73 members from Tachong Bank’s sales force took to Palawan for a two-week holiday. The Taipei-based company is one of the major providers of consumer and corporate banking services.

“The demand for convention and business travel services is very palpable. The country’s strength lies in our ability to offer various activities, attractions and destinations, and the warm and professional Filipino staff ready to assist the tour groups,” Durano noted.

Conversely, big volumes coupled with a tendency to stay long and spend more are what make corporate tour groups attractive to the local travel trade industry. To this, the DOT has been actively promoting the country’s Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events (MICE) facilities to not only the Taiwan market, but in other Asian countries as well.

Early this year, the Department took part in the 16th Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo (AIME 2008) held in Melbourne, Australia and touted as one of the top events in the Asia Pacific region for the MICE industry.

“Our staff was busy entertaining queries from Australian organizers that plan to send groups of around 200 to 2,500 people to the Philippines as early as the first day and continued to do so for rest of the event,” reported Tourism Attaché Consuelo Jones.

As Metro Manila currently maintains to be the hub for conferences, expositions and other international trade activities, the DOT is further prepping up Cebu City, Subic and Clark to be the next centers for MICE.

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