15 April 2015 - The partnership between the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw in promoting the Philippines as a tourist destination in the markets of Poland and the three Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania has been strengthened with the meeting between Tourism Undersecretary Benito C. Bengzon and Ambassador Patricia Ann V. Paez during the International Tourismus Borse (ITB) in Berlin, Germany last March 04 and with the visit to Warsaw of Berlin-based Tourism Attaché Dakila Gonzales from April 08 to 09.

Tourism Undersecretary Bengzon, who requested for the meeting, expressed his appreciation for the Embassy’s pro-active campaigns in promoting Philippine tourism and disclosed that the DOT will now strongly pursue the establishment of a travel trade network with Polish and Baltic tour operators and other stakeholders in the tourism industry.

Undersecretary Bengzon and Ambassador Paez also met with the Head of the ITB Berlin Exhibition Director David Ruetz and ITB Berlin Product Manager for Asia Diane Klaue and discussed ways to better promote the Philippines.The DOT official invited Mr. Ruetz and Ms. Klaue to visit the Philippines. Ambassador Paez and Principal Assistant for Economic Diplomacy Attaché Evelyn Vega also met with several Philippine tour operators and with the representatives of Philippine Airlines (PAL) who participated in the ITB.

As a follow through to the meetings in Berlin, Tourism Attaché Gonzales visited Warsaw recently and met with Mr. Michael Cessannis of National Geographic Traveller, Mr. Arkadiusz Nowak of Nowak Adventure Travel, Ms. Barbara Grabowska of Singapore Airlines, and  with Mr. Grzegorz Karolewski of Qatar Airways. END