LEGAZPI CITY—The just concluded November 16 to 20 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Leaders’ Summit in Manila, and the coming Pacific-Asia Travel Association (Pata) conference this week have filled up hotels in Albay, a recently declared tourism destination of choice.
Albay has benefited from the spillover of the Manila 2015 Apec summit, even before it hosts in Legazpi City the Pata’s New Tourism Frontiers Forum 2015, another international travel and tourism conference which Albay hosts from November 25 to 27 at the Oriental Hotel here.
Recent related events, of course, may have also contributed to the continuing surge of tourists in this Bicol province. One such event was the intensive marketing support from the very popular ABS-CBN TV reality show Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) finals, held here on November 7 and 8, which featured Albay’s prime tourism assets.
Albay Gov. Joey Salceda noted that Manila-based employees and their friends, taking advantage of the seven-day break from work created by the Apec summit, opted for out-of-town sorties. Many of them came to savor Albay’s top global destinations with its panorama still lingering fresh in their minds from watching teen PBB’s final episode. Two of PBB’s winners are Albayanos.
Pata has recently named Albay as its Top Global Destination and winner of the $1-million CEO Challenge Award. The New Frontiers Forum’s originally projected 191 attendance has now swelled to over 360 as top hotels here are now virtually reserved
Aside from the Manila-based employees who opted to convert their “instant holiday” into an enjoyable vacation, unofficial Apec summit participants and students from colleges and universities in Manila found their way to Albay, home to the majestic Mayon Volcano and historic Cagsawa Ruins, both favorite selfie objects in the social media.
Salceda said ABS-CBN reality show PBB 737, which featured Albay’s foremost tourism attractions in the background, has recently helped boost domestic tourism. The show was widely watched around the country.
Albay was declared cowinner of the Pata $1-million CEO Challenge Award for Regional/Provincial category. Salceda personally received the award early this month in London, where he spoke strongly about the strong points why Albay was chosen as a foremost global destination and why travel agencies should put it in their list of priority spots. The London event was attended by some 151 tourism CEOs from all over the world.