23 February 2005 – The Philippine Embassy and the Department of Tourism (DOT) Office in Berlin have successfully conducted the Philippine Tourism Roadshow to increase awareness of and travel to the Philippines by German nationals.

In her report to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Ambassador to Berlin Minerva Jean A. Falcon said the tourism roadshow was recently organized by the DOT-Frankfurt in cooperation with the travel agency Sunstrips Reisen and China Airlines.  Ambassador Falcon added that the event was a third in a series of presentations that was organized by the DOT-Frankfurt.  “Previous presentations were held a week before in Munich and Frankfurt, targeting travel agents in Western Germany,” Ambassador Falcon explained, adding that a fourth one targeting travel agents in Eastern Germany was held in Potsdam on 22 February 2005.

The roadshow was well received by the 46 Berlin based travel agents.  These included top travel agencies such as Thomas Cook, Neckermann Reisedeburo, Sun Paradise Travel, MM Reise Service and Meso Reisen GmbH, Ambassador Falcon said.

In her remarks at a reception for the representatives of the travel agencies, Ambassador Falcon noted that Germans top the list of visitors coming from Western Europe to the Philippines with monthly arrivals of between 3,000 to 4,000 visitors last year.  DOT records show a marked increase in the number of tourist arrivals to the country last year, many of them from Europe.

Based on statistics, from January to October 2004, the number of visitors from Germany to the Philippines has actually increased by 20.4 percent. Ambassador Falcon informed the travel agents that this year marks the 50th Anniversary of Philippine–German diplomatic relations.  She invited them to the upcoming Philippine Festival at the Hotel Intercontinental Berlin from 2 to 8 May 2005.

The evening reception for the travel agents featured Filipino cuisine and drinks and  performances of five folk dances by the Anahaw Dance Group. END
 

/jay