Philippines Conducts First Tourism Promotion Event in Sevilla, Spain

Consul General Mark Francis C. Hamoy (middle, dark blue) represents Philippine Ambassador Philippe J. Lhuillier in the first Philippine tourism promotion event organized in Sevilla, Spain on 20 June 2023. The Philippine Embassy in Madrid supported the effort of London-based Tourism Attaché Gerry O. Panga (fourth from left in beige) to get Sevilla-based travel agencies to promote the Philippines as the next dream destination of their clients. (Madrid PE photo by Adrian Esteban Barba)

SEVILLA 29 June 2023 – Philippine Consul General to Madrid Mark Francis C. Hamoy represented the Philippine Embassy in Madrid at the first ever tourism promotion event held in Sevilla on 21 June 2023. London-based Tourism Attaché Gerry O. Panga organized the event together with the Department of Tourism’s Spanish market representative, Corporación Comunicación Iberoamericana Barceló Asociados SL (CCIBA). This was the second leg of a back-to-back campaign conducted by Mr. Panga, with the first having taken place in Valencia the day before.

Mr. Panga opened the evening by introducing himself and thanking the different people and partners who helped organize the event to promote tourism to the Philippines.

Upon being introduced by Mr. Panga, Mr. Jose Ignacio Bidon y Vigil de Quiñones, Consul General, a.h. of the Philippine Consulate General in Sevilla, warmly welcomed the 45 guests representing around 25 travel agencies and other tourism-related companies in Sevilla.

In his remarks, Consul General Hamoy, highlighted the natural wonders, rich cultural heritage, and the legendary warmth and hospitable nature of Filipinos among the reasons why the audience should promote the Philippines as the next dream destination for their clients. “The Philippines is such a unique and phenomenal travel experience that your customers are most certainly coming home with unforgettable memories and experiences that they will want to relive again and again,” he told travel agents present.

The main presentation was delivered by Mr. Adrian Esteban Barba, a Spaniard who was representing CCIBA, but more importantly someone who had extensive travel experience in the Philippines. In fact, Mr. Esteban spent nearly two years, practically the entire duration of the pandemic, on Malapascua island so his presentation carried a generous dose of credibility for the attentive audience.

Nearly all the attendees have never been to the Philippines, so the excitement during the event was palpable and there was a genuine interest in what was highlighted to be the next trendiest destination among social media influencers.

Before dinner was served, Mr. Dennis Barela Adiuba, a Filipino and multiple Madrid and Spanish flair bartending champion, put on a mesmerizing show and served out Don Papa rum cocktails to the guests.

After the program, the guests moved to the adjacent function room where dinner was served. No one dared leave the event early as there was a major prize to be raffled off: round-trip tickets for two on Qatar Airways with accommodations in Boracay and Cebu provided by Megaworld Properties. The winner, Ms. Montse Peregrino of Escapate con Nastasha, was beside herself when she heard her name called out. She and her work colleague are looking forward to their first trip to the Philippines. END

Mr. Adrian Esteban Barba, a Spanish national who has extensive travel experience in the Philippines and who spent nearly the entire duration of the pandemic on Malapascua island, explains to an audience of 45 Sevilla-based travel agency representatives why the Philippines is the most exciting travel destination they can offer their clients. He also cited a number of Spanish travel influencers that have identified the Philippines as the trendiest destination for 2023. (Madrid PE photo by Adrian Esteban Barba)

London-based Tourism Attaché, Mr. Gerry O. Panga, opens the first tourism promotion event organized in Sevilla, Spain to promote travel to the Philippines, thanking the participation of 45 travel agency representatives from the area and encouraging them to begin selling the Philippines as the next dream destination for their clients. (Madrid PE photo by Adrian Esteban Barba)

For more information, visit https://www.madripe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philembassymadrid.com, https://www.facebook.com/PHinSpain/  or https://www.instagram.com/phinspain/.