Unique tour packages for millenials at this year’s Philippine Travel Mart

MANILA, Philippines – Millennials can expect unique and exciting tour packages at an affordable price during this year’s Philippine Travel Mart (PTM).

In an interview,  Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) president and PTM chairman Cesar Cruz said one of the themes of the PTM, which will be held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City on Sept. 2 to 4, would be anchored towards “experiential” and bucket list destinations that are fit for the millennial market.

“The millennials have a certain budget for traveling. But the thing with the millennial market is that traveling is part of their lifestyle,” Cruz said.

With this in mind, Cruz said the exhibition will be featuring for the first time rising and unexplored tourist sites that are already within the radar of the social media at a budget fit for the millennial market.

“The destinations for the millennial market are those that are less traveled. What they really want is the unique experience that they are going to get,” he said.

Some of the bucket list destinations to be offered at the event include Siargao, Camiguin, Gigantes Island, Marinduque, Catanduanes and Polilio Islands, among others.

Cruz said the lowest package rate would be P1,500 per person.

The plan is aimed at promoting the mentioned destinations into mainstream tourist sites, he said.

Other themes to be included in this year’s PTM are luxury destinations, ASEAN Plus Three destinations and Philippine island getaways. All packages will be offered with discounts of up to 70 percent.

PTM is currently the biggest travel convention in the country that promotes domestic or inbound destinations. It is also the longest running Philippine travel trade fair at 27 years.

For this year, a total of 225 companies composed of tour operators, travel agencies, hotels, resorts, theme parks, restaurants, investment facilities, real estate developers, local government units and others will be participating in the event.

Cruz said the travel exhibition expects foot traffic of 70,000 this year, up 15 percent from the number of visitors in 2015.

The travel convention also aims to increase onsite sales by 15 percent from  the previous year’s P120 million.