Philippine Travel Mart returns this September The event is set to be the biggest since the pandemic

The Philippines’ longest-running travel fair, the Philippine Travel Mart (PTM), returns on 6 September with more exhibitors and competitively-priced tour packages to entice the travelling public. Organised by the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), the event runs until 8 September at Pasay City’s SMX Convention Centre. As of press time, at least 300 exhibitors will be in attendance, the largest number of attendees since the pandemic hit. PHILTOA president Arjun Shroff said: “The PTM has grown to be the biggest travel fair with a focus on local destinations, identifying and uplifting new and emerging destinations. “Last year we had Misamis Occidental, Marinduque, and Spratly Islands as our new localities to showcase their destinations. This year we will hype biodiversity in lesser known places.”Time for Next Generation Tourism This year’s PTM also aims to showcase how the Philippine travel sector is ready to embrace Next Generation (NextGen) Tourism as the future of travel. NextGen Tourism focuses on practices that would shape and benefit the sector that has already witnessed massive shifts regarding changing traveler preferences and behaviours since the pandemic ended. It includes making travel more sustainable and inclusive, investing on digitalization, and focusing on health and wellness, which is a top motivation for travelers when considering a destination to visit.