JUST AS the world continues its revenge travel streak, the Davao Travel Agents Association prepared exciting itineraries and tourism activities for Davaoeño travelers as it successfully held the Davao Mega Travel Sale 2024 last Feb. 23-25 at the activity area of Ayala Malls Abreeza.
“We’re thankful to have the continued support of airlines, cruise companies, hotels and resorts, and our member travel agents and tour operators in offering discounted rates in both outbound and inbound packages,” said DTAA president Alexander Divinagracia during the opening ceremony.
Councilor Myrna Dalodo Ortiz, who delivered an inspirational message, lauded the annual event for showcasing the vibrancy of the tourism industry and highlighting the collective efforts of the stakeholders not just in Davao Region but also across the Philippines.
Department of Tourism XI senior tourism operations officer Joanilee Roda, who represented regional director Tanya Rabat Tan, asked participants to “push for more efficient, impactful, and sustainable tourism initiatives.”
“In 2023, we witnessed how tourism thrived to fully recover. Through collective efforts, the industry came back stronger and better. This was proven through the many big events held in the region, resumed direct domestic and international flights, and the more than 3.2 million tourists we welcomed, signifying that we are near to restoring our pre-pandemic numbers,” shared Roda.
Councilor Bernie Al-ag, a staunch supporter of the tourism industry, also challenged the stakeholders to unite and get more creative.
“The tourism industry in the city should continue to help each other in creating attractive inbound tours so that we can attract more tourists. This is the right time for us to highlight our natural wonders. In other countries, they need to create artificial attractions while ours are all God-given,” he said during his speech.
Now in its 14th year, DMTS was supported by the Department of Tourism Davao Region, Davao Hotels, Resorts and Marketing Association, BPI, PLDT, and Sabre Travel Network. Apart from its members, Bay View Hotel, Club Samal Resorts, Crowne Regency Hotel, Discovery Samal, Park Inn by Radisson Davao, Pearl Farm Beach Resort, Princess Cruises, Arpan Air, Inc., Pacific Cross Insurance, Starr International Insurance and Pamilacan Tours also participated in the expo.
