25 November 2013 - At the Asia Workshop 2013, an annual tourism event in Switzerland, participants and guests expressed overwhelming support for the recovery of the tourism industry in the Philippines.
The one-day event held at the Swissötel in Zurich last November 18 and participated in by travel service providers and travel agencies in Switzerland and abroad, was aimed to promote travel to Asia by providing a wide range of information on the products and services available in this region.
The country in focus during this event - or so-called “host country” - was the Philippines.
As host country, the Philippines was given the opportunity to present to the participants, comprising an audience of more than 500 people, the country of 7,107 islands, its culture, its nature, and the activies it can offer to visiting travelers.
As the event took place at the height of the ongoing relief operations following typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), questions and discussions centered on the level of destruction in central Philippines, the status of rehabilitation efforts and the plight of the Philippine tourism.
Team Philippines took the occasion to inform the workshop participants, including the Swiss media, that relief efforts are in full-swing, that only a small portion of the central Philippines has been affected by the typhoon and majority of tourist areas are still open, and most of all, that we will be able to rebuild what has been lost, even surpassing what has been.
The team was able to give a different perspective to the slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines” – emphasizing that “fun” is not just enjoyment or merriment, but “feeling good” when you express solidarity with those in difficulty.
Expressions of support for and solidarity with the Philippines was continuous all throughout the event, with travel agencies and associations giving re-assurance that they are standing by the Philippines and will actively promote country as a travel destination.
Philippine participation in this Asia Workshop was led by the Philippine Tourism Office in Frankfurt with the full support of the Philippine Embassy in Berne. END
