Tourism Business Mission to HK Shows Why It’s More Fun in PH

Consul General to Hong Kong Antonio A. Morales delivers his welcome remarks at the Philippine Tourism Business Mission in Hong Kong held at Kowloon Shangri-la Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui on 14 September 2018. The event was led by Tourism Attaché Ireneo Reyes of the DOT Shanghai Office, and is part of a four-city tourism business mission which included Nanjing, Wuhan and Guangzhou in mainland China. (Hong Kong PCG photo)

HONG KONG 26 September 2018 – The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) successfully conducted a tourism business mission in Hong Kong at Kowloon Shangri-la Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui on 13 September 2018.

The mission in Hong Kong is the last leg of a four-city tourism business mission that included Nanjing, Wuhan and Guangzhou in mainland China.

Around 170 travel agents, guests as well as Philippine hotel, tourism and travel industry representatives attended the mission, which was led by Tourism Attaché Ireneo Reyes of the DOT Shanghai Office.

The half-day program kicked-off with business-to-business meetings between Philippine sellers and Hong Kong travel agents.

The morning session was followed by a lunch reception attended by VIP guests led by Hong Kong Tourism Board Deputy Executive Director Becky Ip, Philippine Airlines Regional Manager Sindy Lin and Country Manager Leah Nicolas, Cebu Pacific Distribution Manager Bryan Ang, and Hong Kong Travel Agent Owners Association Chairman Freddy Yip.

“Tourism promotion, particularly rural tourism, is an important mission of President Rodrigo Duterte and is included in his ten-point socio-economic agenda. When we say ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines’, improving the general conditions in the country, including connectivity and security, is a top priority of the current administration,” Philippine Consul General to Hong Kong Antonio A. Morales said in his welcome remarks.

Consul General Morales also underlined the longstanding and robust relations of the Philippines and Hong Kong, marked by historical significance, trade relations, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural ties.

In further enhancing tourism exchanges, the Consul General said that that Philippines should maximize Hong Kong’s reputation as a tourist destination, which draws more than 58 million visitors from mainland China and around the globe, to partner with the city and promote multi-destination tourism.

Hong Kong tourism and travel stakeholders, on the other hand, should take advantage of its proximity to the Philippines, and offer new and exciting itineraries that will string together tourist sites in the city with various destinations in the Philippines, the Consul General added.

Tourism Attaché Reyes presented the tourism opportunities in the Philippines, including the following areas in Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions as a cruise ship port of call, diving, English as second language education, medical tourism, rural tourism, and as a retirement destination.

Filipino artists including opera singer Jonathan Badon gave their renditions of well-known Filipino songs such as “Anak” and “Kalesa” as well as the famous Chinese pop song “The Moon Represents My Heart,” to the audience’s delight during the lunch reception.

Tour packages, hotel accommodations and air tickets were given away as prizes during the event’s raffle draws. END

Consul General to Hong Kong Antonio A. Morales (fourth from left) and Deputy Consul General Roderico C. Atienza (second from left) were accompanied by (from left) Philippine Airlines Country Manager Leah Nicolas and Regional Manager Sindy Lin, Hong Kong Tourism Board Deputy Executive Director Becky Ip, Tourism Attaché Ireneo Reyes of the Philippine Department of Tourism-Shanghai Office, Hong Kong Travel Agent Owners Association Chairman Freddy Yip, and Goldjoy Holidays’ Mary Ngai at the VIP table during the lunch reception of the Philippine Tourism Business Mission in Hong Kong. (Hong Kong PCG photo)

Scenes during the lunch reception of Philippine Tourism Business Mission in Hong Kong (clockwise from top left) Consul General to Hong Kong Antonio A. Morales (center) with  (from left to right) Deputy Consul General Roderico C. Atienza, Department of Tourism Attaché Ireneo Reyes, Vice Consul Fatima G. Quintin and Attaché Charlene A. Beriana at the Philippine Tourism photo booth; Cebu Pacific Distribution Manager Bryan Ang awards a raffle prize to a lucky Hong Kong travel agency owner; Filipino artists including opera singer Jonathan Badon gave their renditions of well-known Filipino songs such as “Anak” and “Kalesa”, as well as the famous Chinese pop song “The Moon Represents My Heart” to the audience’s delight. (Hong Kong PCG photos)

For more information, visit www.hongkongpcg.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinHK/.