11 July 2005 – Consul General Jocelyn Batoon Garcia of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, USA, reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that a special tour group of more than 500, comprised mainly of Filipino-Americans from all over the United States, will travel to the Philippines on 11 and 12 July for the First Ambassador’s/Consuls’ General Tour.

Consul General Garcia said that the Tour, the first of its kind ever organized, is designed to bring overseas Filipinos – many of whom have not visited the Philippines for many years – back to the country to enjoy its beauty and diverse tourism landscape, and is also intended to encourage young Filipino-Americans, who may never have visited the Philippines, to visit as well.

The participants will have a City of Manila Tour Package and will pay a courtesy call on the President.  A trade/investment fair will also be held to allow participants to explore the opportunities available in the Philippines for retirees and potential investors.  The participants may also choose from a variety of other local tour packages to attractions outside Manila.

The Tour supports the overall national development strategy that positions tourism as a leading engine of Philippine economic growth.  The United States has been chosen as the inaugural launch point for the tour as it is the Philippines’ largest tourism market.

The Tour program, announced in San Francisco in 2004, has attracted enthusiastic support from many quarters. Consul General Garcia noted that with more than 500 participants, the Tour can help enhance the image of the Philippines as a safe and exciting destination for travel, as well as give the participants the chance to see for themselves the conditions in the country.

The tourism-oriented initiative is spearheaded by the Philippine Embassy in Washington and the 11 Philippine Consulates General and Honorary Consulates General in the United States, with the cooperation of the Department of Tourism, Filipino communities around the United States, and the travel industry.

Given the positive response to the first Tour, Ambassador Albert del Rosario of the Philippine Embassy in Washington expressed the hope that the Tour would be held on a regular basis, and would involve the Philippine posts not just in the United States, but also around the world.  END
 
 

/jay