The Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) and the Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa) have partnered to organise a joint B2B trade event next month to help boost inbound tourism.
Dubbed the HSMA-Philtoa Travel Exchange 2023, over 100 HSMA hotels and resorts will be in attendance to sell to more than 400 buyers consisting of Philtoa member tour operators and travel agents at the Manila Marriott Hotel on March 28 and 29.
Moreover, Philtoa members will be included in HSMA’s online September On Sale (SOS) 2023, offering special rates. SOS was started at the height of the pandemic to help revive the industry.
HSMA’s president Loleth So commented: “Whenever we talk about tourism, we always look at global markets, but we always fail to look at our partners locally… so the best way to jumpstart tourism is to start talking to your local counterparts.”
So pointed out that with the HSMA-Philtoa Travel Exchange 2023, there is no need to “go out on sales call” as they will all be there for the two days.
Philtoa’s first vice president, Mary Ann Ong, pointed out that many Philtoa members outside metro Manila that rarely meet up with hotels and resorts will be given the opportunity to do so at the Travel Exchange.
Ong added that holding the Travel Exchange in late March is timely because hotels and resorts usually introduce new rates in April.
According to both HSMA and Philtoa, the B2B event will go a long way in helping out small and medium tour operators outside Metro Manila while also introducing hotels and resorts that have already opened up in secondary cities.
