Philippine Booth A Hit at Dutch Travel Fair
Philippine booth at Vakantiebeurs 2024
THE HAGUE 15 January 2024 – The Philippine booth drew one of the largest crowds at the opening of Vakantiebeurs 2024 on 10 January in Jaarbeurs, Utrecht for the launch of the new Philippine program offered by “Untamed Travelling,” a Dutch travel specialist company that customizes flexible itineraries for clients.
Vakantiebuers is one of the most-awaited travel fairs in the Netherlands and will run until Sunday, 14 January.
In his remarks at the launch program, Philippine Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya said notwithstanding the Philippines' distance from the Netherlands, the country is a favorite destination among many Dutch tourists.
“The Dutch tourists are among the longest-staying tourists in the Philippines, with an average length of stay of 14 days. This speaks volumes about the Philippines, as the discerning Dutch travelers choose to spend two weeks to enjoy the unique beauty of the country, when they could easily opt for a quick flight elsewhere,” the Ambassador said.
Ambassador Malaya also cited the contribution of travel and tourism in promoting understanding and harmony among peoples. “Tourism plays a vital role amongst people all over the world by fostering communication in all its senses, intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding. In concrete ways, tourism can promote a culture of peace,” the Ambassador added.
Untamed Travelling Director Jozef Verbruggen provided the audience a glimpse of their new versatile travel offerings. This includes perfect tropical getaways, with options ranging from a 22-day round trip offering the best of Luzon, Palawan, Visayas and Siargao, a 19-day “world heritage tour” highlighting culture and nature, a 22-day exploration of Legazpi, Cebu and Bohol, to a 14-day adventure tour discovering little-visited islands between Batangas and Boracay, among others. (https://bit.ly/47qtEEd).
After her visit to the Philippines, Tiny Koning noted in her blog “The Philippines is a travel destination with extraordinary potential, (which was) added to Untamed Travelling’s extensive travel offerings…On the flight back to Holland, I dream away at all the memories of a colorful trip with so many contrasts. In my mind, I am planning my next trip to the Philippines because there is much more to explore there.”
Tourism Attache Daks Gonzales urged the attendees to discover why there’s more to #LoveThePhilippines.
The Philippine participation in the Dutch travel fair is in coordination with the Philippine Department of Tourism Office Frankfurt. END
Philippine Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya
Tourism Attache Daks Gonzales, Untamed Travelling Director Jozef Verbruggen, Ambassador Malaya and Third Secretary and Vice Consul Marisar Ivy Cabatingan
For more information, visit https://www.thehaguepe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinTheNetherlands/.