RP entices greater share of Japanese dive market

MANILA – The Philippine Department of Tourism (DoT) and members of the local tourism sector recently staged the best of the country’s underwater adventures at the Marine Diving Fair 2008 (MDF) in Tokyo, Japan.

The Philippines stood out as one of the largest foreign exhibitors in the three-day event held at the Sunshine City Convention Center in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.

Over 200 national tourism organizations, dive equipment manufacturers, hotels, airlines, specialized tour operators and other tourism-related establishments from over 65 countries join the fair yearly.

An expo survey ranked the Philippines as one of the top overseas dive destinations among the Japanese.

“Our presence in Japan for this event is part of a bigger strategy to strengthen our visibility among the various segments of the Japanese tourist population. Aside from divers, the department also plans to get a bigger share of active seniors and independent ladies. These groups consistently show the most enthusiasm and propensity for travel,” DoT Secretary Ace Durano explained.

Japan is currently the Philippines’ third leading source of foreign arrivals. A total of 65,901 Japanese nationals visited the islands between January and February this year, making up 11.5 percent of over-all tourist traffic.