THE TOURISM Promotions Board (TPB) brings buyers and sellers nationwide to expand business networks and experience Soccsksargen (Region 12) for the 13th Regional Travel Fair (RTF) 2024.
The three-day RTF runs from Sept. 27 to 29 held at General Santos City and aims to promote local and national tourism products and services through business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) sessions.
Teresita Landan, TPB acting head of the Office of the Deputy COO of Marketing and Promotions said this year’s RTF highlights Soccsksargen’s diverse landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and eco-tourism destinations.
“This RTF is designed to be a dynamic platform where we can connect with our fellow professionals and expand possible collaborations and discuss innovative ideas,” she said during the B2B session opening on Sept. 27.
“This is an opportunity to promote Gensan as a premier travel destination as well as Soccsksargen , from mouth-watering seafood to excellent weaving industry and natural landscapes,” she added.
During the B2B session, 50 buyers which are TBP members and tourism stakeholders nationwide, and 135 sellers/exhibitors from the region exchange travel-related business operations.
Local tourism officials presented their current tourism situation so that interested stakeholders could discover potential destinations within South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City.
Landan said they are eyeing to surpass the business leads and sales from the 12th RTF, which had a successful run generating about P400 million business leads and P1.3 actual sales.
Apart from generating business sales leads, RTF is also keen on equal promotion of all the regions nationwide, which is in line with the consultation of the Department of Tourism (DOT). To note, the 12th RTF was held in Ilocos Region and the upcoming 14th RTF will be in Western Visayas, specifically Roxas City in Capiz.
At present, they are looking into the possibility of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) hosting the RTF in 2025. RTF is conducted bi-annually.
More than the business talks, TPB promotes sustainability of business as they monitor the materialization of the leads 3-4 months after the RTF.
The B2C on Sept. 28 allows sellers from the region to offer discounted domestic tour packages, airline tickets, accommodation, and other tourism-related products and services.
Following the B2B And B2C, TPB members will undergo a post-event tour of handpicked attractions within the region.
The 13th RTF in Gensan was made possible through the collaboration of the TPB, DOT- 12, the Provincial Government of South Cotabato, the city government of GenSan, and the event partners- SM Gensan, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and 2GO.
