A Filipino delegation came to Turkey to bring more Filipino tourists to Turkey and to host Turkish travelers in the Philippines. In the delegation, Director of Product and Market Development of the Ministry of Tourism of the Philippines, Dr. Paulo Benito S. Tugbang, government representatives of Bohol and Cebu in the Philippines and Orientours Company Ltd. President Joebert Opulencia took part.
The delegation held positive meetings with the stakeholders in Turkey on creating mutual value for tourism mobility with the participation of Turkey's leading tour operators, travel agencies, airlines and leading representatives of the industry at Delta Hotels by Marriott Istanbul on Monday, November 28.
At the meeting held with industry professionals, Philippines' Ambassador to Turkey-Maria Elena Algabre, who made the opening speech, said, “Thank you very much for not leaving us alone in this very valuable organization for us. Today, we will share with you the beauties of our country, its attractions for tourists, transportation opportunities, and delicious Philippine cuisine. Our delegation from the Philippines to share these posts prepared a very enjoyable presentation for you. Paulo Benito Tugbang, Director of Product and Market Development at the Ministry of Tourism of the Philippines, who manages our tourism organizations in person, will share a detailed presentation introducing the Philippines. Our friends will inform you about the world-famous English language schools in the Philippines. Then, our destination experts from Bohol and Cebu will introduce their regions to you” and concluded his speech by saying “Come, come, come to the Philippines” in Turkish.
“We are a country that builds bridges between cultures”
After the opening speech, Product and Market Development Director of the Philippines Ministry of Tourism Dr. Paulo Benito S. Tugbang said, “We are happy to come to Istanbul to develop our mutual tourism mobility with Turkey. Turkey, which serves as a bridge between Europe and Asia, is an extremely attractive country for tourists with its rich history and beauties. We are also a very rich country culturally, we have a lot of citizens of Chinese, Malaysian, American and Spanish origin, so we, as a country, are a country that builds bridges between cultures in the world, just like Turkey.” said.
“An average of 95 thousand Filipino tourists come to Turkey every year”
Stating that an average of 95 thousand Filipino tourists came to Turkey before the pandemic, Tugbang stated that 8 thousand 500 travelers came from Turkey to the Philippines every year with an increasing momentum. "We think that the number of Filipinos who will come to Turkey will exceed 2023 thousand by 100 with the relaxation of pandemic measures around the world and the return to normal life, and we, as the Philippines, will be pleased to host more Turkish travelers in our country every year." said.
In addition, he stated that Filipino tourists visiting Turkey mostly prefer Istanbul in Turkey, and Filipino tourists who love cultural holidays also visit the Ancient City of Ephesus. He stated that due to the fact that their country is located in the Far East, Filipinos who come to Turkey prefer package tours in the range of 10-15 days. He also added that from a distance, Filipinos benefit from organized group tours and individual travelers, where they can see neighboring countries as well as Turkey.
“We want to host more Turkish tourists in the Philippines”
Stating that they want to host more Turkish travel lovers in the Philippines in 2023, Philippines Tourism Product and Market Development Director Dr. Paulo Benito S. Tugbang said, “When Turks come to our country, they prefer Manila, Cebu, Palawan, Boracay and Bohol more. In addition to cultural travel, he mainly spares time for a sea holiday. Our country is deemed worthy of international awards every year due to the high level of service quality in tourism. We have been shown among the 40 most beautiful countries in the world by Conde Nast Travel. Boracay, Palawan and Cebu have been ranked in the top 25 islands in the world by Travel + Leisure. At TIME, Boracay was featured in the 50 most amazing places in the world. At the World Travel Awards 2022, the Philippines was named Asia's leading Sea-Sand-Sun Vacation and leading Diving destination. We will be happy for Turkish travelers to see this beautiful country. You are welcome to our English language schools, our delicious Filipino cuisine or our unique Far Eastern culture and magnificent nature.” said.
In his speech, he said, “In 2023, we will work hard to develop tourism between the two countries by participating in our Roadshow events in Turkey, FAM trip trips promoting our country, communication, advertising activities and fairs in Turkey.” he ended.
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