The Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT) participated successfully in the recently concluded World Travel Market (WTM) in London on November 01-03, 2021. The PDOT had a lean delegation of 4 co-exhibitor companies in the live staging of the event, and another set of 20 companies for the virtual business meetings on November 08-09.
The WTM London is the leading global event for the travel industry to meet industry professionals and conduct business deals. The event had its best staging in 2019 (pre-pandemic) with about 50,000 visitors from 182 countries, 1.2 million business meetings, over 100 conference sessions and a 77% increase in ministerial attendance.
Philippine Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat led the PH delegation to the WTM, as part of her hectic business engagements, including the UNWTO, WTTC & WTM Ministers’ Summit held last November 02, where she served as one of the panellists in the high-level discussion on the global measures in investing in tourism’s sustainable future. The Secretary was assisted by Atty. Anthonette Velasco-Allones, Chief Operating Officer of the Tourism Promotions Board.
Philippine Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat
led the PH delegation at WTM
While in London, the Ph tourism officials met with the key British travel trade and media partners to discuss collaborative efforts to keep the Philippines in the travel plans of the active British outbound travellers when the country reopens next year.
Before the pandemic in 2019, the British visitor arrivals to the Philippines reached 209,206 (4.06%), with the second-best growth rate in terms of UK outbound travel to Southeast Asia despite the prolonged market slowdown effects of Brexit.
