06 October 2016 — A “fun, hip, and modern” Philippines was impressed upon visitors at the Museum Embankment Festival (Museumsuferfest), held in Frankfurt am Main from August 25 to 27.

The annual festival turned the banks of the Main River, known for its impressive row of museums, into a giant stage and backdrop for varied cultural performances in music, theater, and dance. This year, it drew an estimated two million visitors eager to enjoy the sunshine as temperatures soared.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) Frankfurt Office, led by Tourism Attaché Margarita Valdes, partnered with Frankfurter Musikbühne, which organized a stage at the Museumsuferfest, to present Filipino talents. These included Filipino-Austrian teen heartthrob Lukas Janisch, who wonThe Voice Kids Germany, and the UP Street Dance Club. Breaking away from the usual traditional numbers, their performances got the audience jiving to a more modern and trendy beat.

DOT’s Frankfurt Office turned the level up on the festivities by distributing 1,000 luminous LED balloons brandishing the “More Fun in the Philippines” logo. Visitors also enjoyed taking photos at a booth which featured as backdrop popular tourist destinations in the country. Philippine-inspired cocktail drinks were also served and helped people cool down from the heat.

"Through our participation in the Museumsuferfest, we were able to showcase an intriguing and versatile travel destination for the people of the Rhine-Main region," said Ms. Valdes. "We wanted to convey how much fun and joy could be found in the Philippines' 7,107 islands, with its diverse offerings for different target groups."

Philippine Ambassador to Germany Melita Sta. Maria-Thomeczek was interviewed during the festival by Mr. Matthias Gürtler of Touristik Aktuell, a weekly tourism magazine. Asked why the Philippines is now trending as a travel destination among Germans, she responded, “First and foremost, we have a very good product, and we are proud of it,” the Ambassador replied. “The Philippines has so much to offer and that is why we have embarked on great campaigns to tell the world about it.”

Aside from the participation in the festival, Philippine tourism also received extensive exposure in various Frankfurt publications last August, including features in the Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung, Frankfurter Rundschau, the Frankfurter Neue Press, Mix Am Mittowoch, Journal Frankfurt, and radio station Antenne Frankfurt, which has simultaneous broadcasts in 15 other areas around Germany. END