Local gov’ts to compete at tourism expo

Local government units (LGUs) across the country will try to outdo each other in presenting their respective tourism attractions at the 15th Philippine Travel Mart (PTM), an international expo slated at the Megatrade Halls 1 and 2 of SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City on Sept. 3 to 5.

The PTM will classify the LGUs according to their category – whether city (chartered or capital), province, or region – as they graciously compete to outshine each other during the expo’s three-day run.

The fourth category in this Best Booth Competition is corporation/agency, which may be private or government entities participating as exhibitors or sponsors.

PTM 2004 deputy secretary general for special events Yvonne Pascual said, “The competition will highlight the rich diversity of the Filipino culture and its uniqueness in the Asian region as captured by this year’s theme ‘WOW… Philippines shining in Asia’.”

Pascual said the competing LGUs would undergo an elimination round wherein they would be judged in terms of design and concept (25 percent), artwork and creativity (25 percent), originality and uniqueness (25 percent), and marketing relevance and consumer attraction (25 percent).

Design and concept refers to the destination’s attraction and how it is effectively promoted.

Artwork and creativity pertains to the physical beauty of the display booth itself in terms of meaning, color and harmony, among others.

Originality and uniqueness should show how different one booth is from all the other displays as it stands out and captures visitor attention.

Marketing relevance is about the effectiveness of presentation, point-of-sale collateral and other visible merchandising efforts to generate sales.

For the final round, the LGUs will be judged based on physical attraction and presentation (45 percent), marketing and promotions value (45 percent), and level of service (10 percent).

“The different regional directors of the Department of Tourism are now briskly coordinating with the LGUs to facilitate their participation in the PTM,” Pascual said.

The DoT directors are Ernesto Malay Jr. of Region 1, Blessida Diwa of Region 2, Ronald Tiotuico of Region 3, Louella Jurilla of Region 4, Mari Ong-Ravanilla of Region 5, Edwin Trompeta of Region 6, Patria Aurora Roa of Region 7, Norma Morante of Region 8, Ricardo San Juan of Region 9, Dorothy Jean Pabayo of Region 10/Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Sonia Garcia-Antonio of Region 11, Sohura Dimaampao of Region 12, Purificacion Molintas of the Cordillera Administrative Region, and Reynaldo Chua of the National Capital Region.

Other competitions such as Best Cultural Presentation, Bituin ng Kasuotang Pilipino, on-the-spot photo contest, and “My Best Travel Photo” are also lined up for both LGUs and private exhibitors.

[ Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao Wiki ]