Travel and Tour Expo 2013 is a destinations and deals smorgasbord

Every year, the Travel and Tour Expo (TTE 2013) brings together airlines, travel agencies, hotels and resorts, and tourism promotion offices. And every year, the savvy tourist knows that this is truly the best place for steals and deals. 

 

The 20th Travel and Tour Expo is themed "Gateway to Getaways," and it's currently held at the SMX Convention Center until tomorrow, Sunday. Co-presented by the Philippine Travel Agencies Association and the Department of Tourism’s Tourism Promotions Board, the fair has taken a strong turn in favor of domestic tourism, with booths from regional tourism offices standing side by side with booths from tourism boards from Malaysia and South Africa. 

 

There are also loads of promo goodies to be had. For instance, Sofitel is offering 10 gift certificates for lunch at the recently relaunched Spiral restaurant for the price of six. That's just the start. Hotels both new and old in the Metro Manila area are giving away rooms at discounted prices for those who want a "staycation."

 

A growing domestic aviation industry means that visitors have ways of getting to different parts of the country as well as places to billet. Apart from very popular destinations such as Boracay and Palawan, there were offers from resorts in such parts of the country as Bicol, where the Pacific coast has some interesting places to surf.

 

A visit to the fair yesterday astonished me with both its scale and extent. This year, there are 532 booths from 257 participating firms. I could see long lines at all the major domestic carrier booths. At some of the tourism promotion booths, there were cultural presentations that drew in small crowds. A karate demonstration at Japan’s booth took place alongside a selection of dances from Malaysia’s cultural communities.   

On the local front, a Sinulog festival costume from the Eastern Visayas was on display in one booth, and Resorts World, which is currently hosting a production of The King and I, had two participants in Thai costume with whom people were posing for photos. 

 

Visitors should take the time to walk through booths and ask questions since there will definitely be a lot of deals on offer. To help the process of choosing which deals to take, the organizers have put together a coupon booklet promising freebies and other deals from select retailers. 

 

Most of all, it pays to be curious. There are plenty of new destinations, both far and near, that are waiting to be explored.

 

The Travel and Tour Expo will be held at the SMX Convention Center until 7PM tomorrow (Sunday, February 17).