Hundreds of exhibitors will gather in Manila this September for an event that organisers say offers travellers deals they cannot find on the internet.
The 37th Philippine Travel Mart (PTM) will run from September 4 to 6 at the SMX Convention Centre in Pasay City, bringing together roughly 300 confirmed exhibitors spanning airlines, travel agencies and tour operators.
It is among the country’s longest-running travel expos, and this year’s edition is being framed less as a straightforward marketplace than as a showcase for regions that rarely feature on standard tourist itineraries.
Speaking at the PTM press launch, Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) president Maria Lourdes Flor Japson said the event’s ambitions extend past bargain-hunting.
She said organisers want visitors to “discover new destinations, appreciate our diverse cultures, support local businesses, and understand that every journey they take contributes to nation-building,” according to the Philippine News Agency.
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Discounts kept off the internet
PHILTOA trade relations officer Cecille Kimpo said the discounts on offer at the fair are deliberately kept off the internet: vacation packages will be cut by nearly half, alongside flash sales that exist only for the three days of the event.
“These deals are not available online,” Kimpo said. “They can only avail of that at the Philippine Travel Mart.”
Kimpo added that with around 300 exhibitors under one roof, attendees would have the chance to browse and compare packages side by side, a proposition aimed at travellers who might otherwise piece together holidays through scattered online searches.
Beyond the discounts, PHILTOA said this year’s fair would give particular attention to destinations that have historically drawn fewer visitors than the country’s established resort areas.
Named among them are the Zamboanga Peninsula, Marinduque, Quezon Province and Misamis Occidental, regions the association describes as emerging rather than mainstream.
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