Chinese still find Philippines attractive tourist destination

MANILA Philippines – Despite the bitter territorial dispute in the high seas that has grabbed headlines here and abroad the past year, the Chinese still find the Philippines an attractive tourist dest

MANILA Philippines – Despite the bitter territorial dispute in the high seas that has grabbed headlines here and abroad the past year, the Chinese still find the Philippines an attractive tourist destination.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila revealed that the Philippines won one of the โ€œBest Tourist Destinationโ€ awards at the 2012 Oriental Morning Postโ€™s annual World Travel- Special Trips Awards.

โ€œThe award was based on a consumer survey done by the Oriental Morning Post, one of the top news dailies in Shanghai. Other winning countries in the category were Ireland, Korea, Singapore and Finland, and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates,โ€ the DFA said.

The awarding ceremony was held last January 9 at the Twelve At Hengshan (A Luxury Collection Hotel in Shanghai), where important personalities from the Shanghai travel trade and media were present.

Consul General Charles Jose accepted the award for the Philippines. He was accompanied to the event by Gerard Panga, Tourism Attachรฉ, and Niel Ballesteros of the Philippine Tourism Office in Shanghai.

โ€œThe award supports the consumersโ€™ renewed confidence in the Philippines, which remains to be a popular and sought-after destination among Chinese tourists,โ€ said the DFA.

To cater to the ever-growing number of Chinese tourists traveling to the Philippines, Airphil Express reactivated its Shanghai-Kalibo charters on November 30, 2012 while Zest Air reactivated theirs on January 10. On the other hand, Cebu Pacific launched its maiden chartered flight from Shanghai to Kalibo last January 11.

Other chartered flights will be opened in time for the Chinese New Year holidays covering several routes: Beijing-Kalibo (January 15), Hangzhou-Kalibo (January 17), Guangzhou-Cebu (January 17), Chengdu-Kalibo (February 5), and Shanghai-Cebu (February 8).

By the second and third quarters of 2013 (summer season, and Chinese National Day holiday), chartered flights out of Wenzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan, Chongqing and Xiamen will also be opened.

The Philippines is able to maintain its strong presence in the Chinese market through aggressive promotion and strategic partnerships with local media.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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