Reinvigorating Philippine Tourism with Local Culture – Manila Bulletin

Rekindle the joys of travel with nothing less than the largest local hotel chain in the Philippines

This year, summer in the Philippines becomes even more special as, after two years of being locked in the safety of their homes, Filipinos can now travel to places as they were before the pandemic. And for the tourism and hospitality industries, the best way to meet these revenge travelers, local or international, is to put Filipino culture in the spotlight.

That’s what Megaworld Hotels and Resorts (MHR) is partnering with the UK Department of Tourism (UK) on their MEGA European Familiarization Tour 2022 held at the Savoy Hotel Manila in Newport City Pasay on April 21. The B2B networking event) brought together major destination management companies to connect with some of the biggest tour operators from Spain, Italy and the UK as they get a healthy dose of Filipino heritage.

“Meeting everyone face to face is in itself a big step towards bringing back better business and better tourism to the Philippines,” said Lynette Ermac, Group Director of Sales and Marketing for Megaworld Hotels and Resorts. . “See present partners like Baron Travel, Intas Destination Management, Travelexperts, Shroff International Travel Care Inc., Travelite Travel and Tours Co., Blue Horizons Travel and Tours, Uni-Orient Travel and Tours, Annset Holidays, Ark Travel Express, Marsman Drysdale along with other European based tour operators such as Social Trinity, Anywhere We Roam, Flight Centre, Dial-A-Flight, Tru Travel, Bamboo Travel and Moresand is the confident representation the industry needs at this time. to get back on his feet.”

Fiesta Philippines

Wearing the pride of quintessential Filipino hospitality, the event showcased what always makes any trip to the Philippines more fun. “Allowing our partners to rediscover our nation in the new normal and all it has to offer will do wonders for large groups of travelers to keep us on their itinerary,” Ermac suggested.

During the event, guests were greeted by the loud roar of festival drums with ushers dressed in modern Filipiniana. They were also treated with Harana (live serenade) of original Filipino ballads and a visual journey with Nami Art Gallery exhibition featuring masterpieces by local artists Ojing Señara, Doy Kastilyo, Christian Regis and Fidel Sarmiento curated by Nami Art Gallery. The festive spirit continues with the performance of street dancers from Iloilo’s Dinagyang Festival.

The Philippines on a plate

This kind of festivity is of course not complete without a banquet filled with delectable food and drink. Guests went on a true Flipino foodie journey with a serving of classic street food treats from sorbetshalo-halo and taho fish the ball and manicure. A celebration of Filipino flavors is the 360° grazing table which featured artisan cheese and local charcuterie, dried fruits, whole salmon tinapa, and even a market-style local fruit stand featuring produce native to all over the Philippines. Guests also fell in love with decadent champorado cakes and the best chicharron of Bulacan, macapuno balls, and the must try Espasol pralines. The spread also included a carving station that paid homage to the country’s rich seafood offerings, such as tuna sashimi and Aklan’s oyster strings, which were best associated with sinamak vinegar, small sago, guso seaweed, pomelo and pako. The Lechon Batangas was also a crowd catcher, especially when immersed in bring, pinakurat vinegar or coffee sauce. Like a true fiesta, Lechon Baka or US Prime Rib served with mangosteen jam made it a cultural taste delight that everyone enjoyed.

To keep everyone in high spirits, a Mixology 101 course offered by Emperador Distillers Inc. showed them how to whip up new cocktail blends like the Palamigwhich uses anise, honey, calamansi and soda; Presko with mango, basil, calamansi and sprite; Guava Empire blending guava, mango, lime and sprite; and Canadian Screw prepared with whiskey and orange.

Rekindle the joys of travel with nothing less than the Philippines’ largest hotel chain operator, Megaworld Hotels and Resorts. For more information on its properties, simply visit www.megaworldhotels.com or connect with them through one of its hotels official social media pages.