DOT-6 joins tourism selling mission, leisure fair in Russia
In line with the efforts to sustain the growth of tourist arrivals, the Department of Tourism is gearing up for participation in overseas fairs and events in Europe. After the four - city Philippine Business Mission in Japan last June where Western Visayas prominently participated, DOT VI is again spearheading a regional participation in St. Petersburg Tourism Selling Mission and the Moscow Luxury Leisure Fair in Russia from September 18-26, 2008.
Director Edwin Trompeta who heads Western Visayas' delegation said, these are the premier tourism events in Russia for overwintering destinations like the Philippines. For this year, the DOT has reserved a 150 sq. m. pavilion highlighting Adventure Philippines. In addition, the Philippines will have a 20 sq. m. stand at the Luxury Leisure Fair that will focus on promoting Philippine Health & Wellness package, Dir. Trompeta added. To highlight this particular activity, Iloilo's Ato De La Cruz, Jr., proprietor of Kasanag Well Being Center is joining the Philippine delegation as promoter of "hilot", the country's best wellness product.
Dir. Trompeta will coordinate the activities of the private sector from Western Visayas relative to the DOT's participation in Leisure Moscow 2008 and the conduct of the pre – Leisure Fair Tourism Selling Mission to St. Petersburg.
Aside from the Kasanag Well Being Center, other establishments participating are Boracay Regency & Convention Center, Boracay Mandarin Resort, Boracay Discovery Shores, Fairways & Blue Water and Boracay Tropics.
St. Petersburg and Moscow are some of the biggest cities in the Central Region of Russia where most of the tourist arrivals to the Philippines emanate. For January – August 2008, a whooping 35.3% was registered from the Russian Market compared to the same period of 2007. "The Russians are coming", this might well be the call of Western Visayas in the years to come. With our white sand beaches, high end resorts and growing popularity as a destination, the effort to attract the Russian Market is being redoubled, Trompeta said.
It is no secret that Russia's vast oil exports have led to a rise in the income and standard of living of most Russians. As a result, analysts have watched the expansion of the country's middle class to what is today's one of the biggest consumer markets of the world.
Russian consumers are now more than ever ready and able to consider spending money on international travel – and the Leisure Moscow travel trade show is where the international community has the opportunity to vie for a piece of the Russian outbound.
Observers in the tourism industry maintain, that in the future, destinations like China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Africa or even Latin America will feature more in the Russian's travel plans.