The Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT) has once again organized an activity dubbed as Wake Up to the Flavors of the Philippines,an authentic showcase of Filipino cuisine, at the open grounds of the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines.
Consul General Dinno Oblena, representing H.E. Jose Santiago L. Sta. Romana, welcomed the guests and visitors who witnessed the event. CG Oblena expressed that “the Philippine tourism industry is similarly situated with other travel and leisure industries globally in witnessing a marked scaling down of activities. However, the Philippine Department of Tourism pursues a proactive strategy, which, among others, seeks to sustain awareness, and even grow demand, in both the domestic and foreign tourism markets.” This is part of the DOT’s efforts to emerge bigger, better and more resilient as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“DOT-Beijing’s focus on food tourism also has a good reason behind it. Food tourism is becoming a staple in the travel and leisure industry. A growing segment of leisure travelers worldwide do so with food as the first thing on their minds. The United Nations World Tourism Organization, or UNWTO, estimates that up to 33 percent, or a third of global tourism expenditures are spent on food,” CG Oblena further explained.
The event featured authentic Filipino cuisine which was demonstrated by Chef Aristotle Mendoza, a well-known Filipino chef with more than two decades of experience based in Beijing. Chef Mendoza of El Mercadito Restaurant showcased a popular dish called Sisigand other Filipino favorites which were shared to guests composed of media from Beijing. Other regional tastes from the Philippines includes Lumpiang Sariwa, Seafood Sinigang (shrimp and fish), Bicol Express, Bistek Tagalog, Pinakbet, Halo Halo and Ginataang Bilo Bilo.
The event was aimed to promote the Philippine cuisine to the media guests while outbound and inbound travel is still restricted both in China and the Philippines, respectively, due to the pandemic.
China was considered as one of the most important travel markets pre-pandemic in the Philippines. In 2019, about 1.75 million Chinese traveled to the Philippines, making it the second largest tourism market, a hefty growth of 38.58 percent over the previous year. Chinese travelers have also contributed an estimated USD2.23 billion to the Philippine economy. On average, tourists spend around USD140.57 per night for a 9.57 night-stay in the Philippines.
[All images via the Philippine Department of Tourism]
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