CALAMBA CITY, Laguna (PIA) — More than 700 public and private tourism stakeholders took part in the 2nd Calabarzon Tourism Business Exchange (CTBEx), as a bid to further introduce the Calabarzon region and make gains for the Philippine tourism industry.
Organized by the Calabarzon Alliance of Independent Tour Operators (CAITO) and supported by the Department of Tourism (DOT), the CTBEx gathers diverse tourism stakeholders, including international partners, to connect and collaborate for a wider reach and opportunity for networking and cooperation.
Lorie Tepora, Managing Director and CAITO Chairperson, emphasized that CTBEx is an all-in-one event merging the government, private and market sectors to boost the local tourism industry and present it from an international perspective.
“We started CTBEx event so that we can help different tourism stakeholders to collaborate, to network and expand their business, not just locally but also international to help local tourism industry in the Philippines especially Calabarzon,” Tepora stated.
This year, the CTBEx gathered 130 sellers of tourism services and products and was attended by 743 registered buyers, tour operators, and travel agencies from Calabarzon region and nearby areas.
As part of the program, Maria Rica Bueno, DOT Assistant Secretary for Tourism Regulation Coordination and Resource Generation reiterated the agency’s full support for business-to-business events as it also contributes to the tourism receipts and expenditures, which are crucial for boosting the economy through tourism.
She said: “The role of the private sector in promoting the Philippines is very important because they are the ones directly providing services and generating business for the country. The Department of Tourism and the government act as enablers, creating a conducive environment for tourism to thrive and addressing challenges through policies.”
Bueno also expressed her gratitude for CAITO’s initiative in launching and creating an avenue for tourism stakeholders in the Calabarzon region to showcase and introduce their services and products.
“Under Secretary Frasco’s administration, from the start of her term, efforts to stimulate demand, such as tourism business exchange and travel expos have been strongly encouraged. She has instructed our regional offices to actively collaborate and support these initiatives, whether they are led by the private sector or local governments,” the assistant secretary added.
Meanwhile, CAITO Chairperson Tepora shared that they will continue to work with DOT and other tourism stakeholders to launch and expand their initiatives to conduct more tourism business exchanges in the future.
The tourism department said that the Calabarzon region welcomed 41,552,700 combined local and foreign tourists in 2023. (CO/PIA-4A)
