THE World Travel Expo returns for its third year with bigger discounts and deals for local and international destinations.
The expo will run from Oct. 26 to 28 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.
The three-day expo, located at the Function Halls 3 to 5 of the convention center, will feature almost 300 booths from inbound and outbound travel operators, cruise lines, hotels and accommodations, and themed tours, among others.
“In the first year of World Travel Expo, we had 10,000 walk-in visitors and in the second year, we had 20,000 visitors. So now, we’re targeting 30,000 people this year,” Goddfrey Dimaandal, PR and advertising director of the fair, told BusinessWorld at the sidelines of the launch in September.
Local destinations “we have so many good beaches” and Asian destinations are some of what Mr. Dimaandal expects to be very popular during the expo.
“Of course, Boracay will be returning since the expo runs at the time the island is reopened. There are a lot of people inquiring regarding booking flights and accommodations to Boracay,” he said.
Outside of the Philippines, Mr. Dimaandal said Taiwan, by virtue of it being visa-free until the end of the year, is also a very popular destination for Filipinos, while Japan and South Korea remain perennial favorites.
He said they are expecting to see more people book group tours because “Filipinos love traveling in groups, it’s happier, and it’s cheaper.”
Among the 30,000 expected guests, Mr. Dimaandal said they are focusing on getting the millennial market on board as this is the segment “who loves travelling.”
“They are the ones who love to spend money on travel and experiences, unlike the Gen X who are focusing on their life plans and don’t they travel as often as millennials do,” he said, explaining that the Gen X-ers, in their experience, travel only once or twice a year unlike millennials who travel around five to six times a year.
The World Travel Expo 2018 will run from Oct. 26 to 28 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. The expo is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets are priced at P50. For more information visit www.worldtravelexpo.com.ph; e-mail worldtravelexpo.ph@gmail.com; or call 579-7185 or 0977-811-1688. — Zsarlene B. Chua

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