Subic gears up for the 19the Philippine Travel Mart

After winning the top marketing award in the 2nd Philippine International Tourism Fair (PITF) in Cebu last June, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) will once again showcase the “wild” side of Subic, this time in the country’s largest and longest-running travel and tourism fair — the 19th Philippine Travel Mart (PTM).

Organized by the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), in cooperation with the Department of Tourism (DOT), the 19th Philippine Travel Mart is gearing to showcase the country’s adventure side with the theme “Triple X: Xtreme Adventure, Xtreme Wellness and Xtreme Leisure.”

“The theme fits Subic very well. We have the forests, the bay, and amenities that promote adventure, wellness, and leisure,” said SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza, who signed last week a memorandum of agreement with PHILTOA president Cesar Cruz for the SBMA to be one of the major sponsors of the event.

“We want the whole world to know that here in Subic, tourists can experience the most adventurous vacation they could ever have,” said Arreza.

Aside from the SBMA, 11 tourism stakeholders in the free port have pooled talents and resources together in the design and construction of a “one-of-a-kind” pavilion to give visitors “the aura and ambience of Subic Bay,” Arreza added.

The Subic Bay pavilion will be one of the 17 exhibits to be on display during the actual Travel Mart on September 12-14 at the Megatrade Halls, SM Megamall Bldg. B in Mandaluyong City.

Aside from the pavilions, majority of which will be put up by regional offices of the DOT, some 178 individual exhibitors will promote their products during the tourism fair.

SBMA deputy administrator for tourism Raul Marcelo said the Subic pavilion, which sprang out of “the inspired imagination and enthusiasm” of Subic locators, “would surely surprise guests with its water-inspired theme.”

“If the initial plan would push through, visitors will get the feeling of being in a bay while they are in the Subic pavilion,“ Marcelo hinted.

Arreza said the Subic Bay Freeport would greatly benefit from the Travel Mart, which brings in thousands of local and foreign corporate buyers, consumers and other stakeholders in a single venue for travel and tourism.

He added that one major factor that would attract foreign buyers is Subic’s increased accessibility, especially so with international flights arriving at the nearby Clark Freeport and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) in place.

Arreza also announced that on September 12, right after the opening ceremonies of the Philippine Travel Mart, the SBMA will be hosting some 50 foreign buyers who will visit Subic’s attractions, and also checking out Clark along the way.

Subic takes pride in its unspoiled jungles and beaches that attract tourists yearning for extreme adventure, added Marcelo.

He added that the free port’s tourism facilities are keeping up with the growing demand, with several hotels, restaurants, spas and other tourism-related amenities now being developed.

Subic also hosts four nature theme parks, a 19-hole golf course planned for upgrading to an all-weather 21-hole facility, and a convention and exhibition center.

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