06 March 2017 MANILA – The Philippines’ trademark sunshine and timeless hospitality greeted Canadian snowbirds once again as they arrived for the Winter Escapade tour held from February 06 to 14.

This year’s tour covered Manila, the Ilocos Region, and Palawan.

“Winter Escapade has always sought to provide Canadians and Filipinos a respite from winter,” says Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila P. Garcia. “What better way to spend Canada’s winter than basking in the Philippine sun and immersing oneself in Philippine culture, cuisine, and natural wonders?”

A brainchild the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Tourism (DOT), and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) in 2012, the tour entered its fourth season by whisking 245 Filipino and Canadian tourists from Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec to Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and Coron, Palawan. A delegation from the USA also joined the tour.

The first Winter Escapade was conducted in 2013, bringing more than two hundred tourists to Aklan, Iloilo, Guimaras, and Manila. Since then, the tour has been conducted every year, visiting Bohol, Siquijor, Negros Oriental, Albay, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, and Palawan. END