31 January 2012 - The Department of Tourism in Frankfurt, in cooperation with the Philippine Embassy in Berlin, spearheaded the country's participation in the annual Boot Düsseldorf fair, an event featuring various water sport activities.
The Philippine booth dubbed "Unlimited Dive Philippines" drew a lot of attention from diving and other water sport enthusiasts.Major Philippine dive resorts like Amontillado Beach and Dive Resort in Negros Oriental, Sea Explorers in Cebu City, El Galleon, and FlowerBeach in Bohol participated in the event.
Philippine Ambassador to Germany Maria Cleofe Natividad gave her strong support to the DOT-Frankfurt team, led by Tourism Attaché Venus Tan, and personally congratulated the owners and managers of participating Philippine dive resorts, many of whom shared their success stories in putting up diving businesses in the country.
The Philippine booth, with its distinctive tropical island feel, was a welcome sight in the sea of water sport booths. Photographs of selected Philippine marine habitats were also on display. Partly constructed out of bamboo, it was bedecked with tropical plants and had beach lounges for interested visitors. Cocktails were served towards the end of business hours complete with karaoke, underscoring the Philippine tourism pitch - "It is more fun in the Philippines."
The DOT, through its Unlimited Dive Philippines campaign, is aggressively promoting the country as a premiere dive destination in Asia, particularly to the German and French markets.
Managing Director Hans Werner Reinhardt of the Messe Boot Düsseldorf, the fair's venue, expressed his appreciation for the Philippines' participation in the fair.
As part of its economic diplomacy efforts, the Embassy actively supports the activities of DOT-Frankfurt under its investment-driven tourism strategy and cultivates its relations with key stakeholders in the tourism industry, such as tour operators, resort owners, and other industry players.
Germany is among the top 12 tourism markets of the Philippines, with 58,725 visitor arrivals in 2010, a 5% increase from the previous year. It is the number one source of tourist arrivals in Western Europe, and the second highest tourism market in all of Europe, after the United Kingdom. END