LU SHOWCASES AGRI-TOURISM IN THE 30TH PTM (Department of Tourism Secretary Bernadette R. Puyat)
By: Joy Ann L. Gurtiza, GPC-PIO | Photo By: Sonny A. Buenaventura, GPC-MPIU | Date: September 1, 2019
La Union delegates pose with Department of Tourism Secretary Bernadette R. Puyat at the La Union Pavilion during the 30th Philippine Travel Mart on August 31, 2019 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, Pasay City. Secretary Puyat said that the Province of La Union has a lot to offer beyond its appeal as a surfing capital.
In its continuous effort to push forward the province’s tourism industry, the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) through the Provincial Information Office – Tourism Operations Unit (PIO – TOU) participated in the 30th Philippine Travel Mart (PTM) with the theme “Fostering Sustainable and Inclusive Tourism” on August 30 – September 1, 2019 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, Pasay City.
The 30th PTM featured exhibits, Sale ng Bayan Tour Packages and cultural presentations making the event the biggest travel fair in the country. On the other hand, the PIO – TOU featured La Union finest in tourism with emphasis on Agri-Tourism in the Pavilion booth of PGLU in support of Governor Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” Ortega III’s vision for La Union to be the Heart of Agri-Tourism in Northern Luzon by 2025. The La Union Pavilion was designed showcasing the best of La Union which includes its vineyard as one of the Agri-Tourism sites, food delicacies and local products. It also featured local food tasting and the one-town-one-product of the province.
Department of Tourism Secretary Bernadette R. Puyat and Former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. visited La Union Pavilion on the second day of the exhibition and enticed mallgoers to drop by.
The La Union delegation was composed of staff from the PIO – TOU and members from the various tourism organizations in the province such as La Union Alliance of Travel and Tour Agencies; La Union Culture, Arts and Tourism Officers Association; La Union Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants Association; and Association of Active Tour Guides of La Union. They joined forces in selling La Union tour packages that offer the province’s sun-sea-sand, Agri-Tourism, cultural heritage tourism, food tourism, and more. Branding and marketing collaterals were given away and La Union Tourism Audio Visual Presentations were also shown.
Organized by the Philippine Tour Operators Association, the annual PTM is the country’s biggest tourism travel and trade fair that aims to bolster the tourism industry through the promotion of the country’s rich culture, natural attractions and products, while supporting a sustainable business environment socially equitable for local communities. This year’s PTM is packed with more than 250 exhibitors from various regions, hotels and resorts, airlines, theme parks, and travel agencies.
The province’s continued presence in the annual PTM contributed to the growing increase of visitor influx.
