THE Pampanga Agents Travel Society (PATS), an affiliate of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association, recently marked its 10th year of significantly improving and promoting the province and region’s tourism services.
During the group’s extravagant anniversary celebration held at Royce Hotel and Casino, PATS President Lerma Quiambao noted that their decade-long success is a testament to their relevant contributions to the industry.
“We’re very happy and full of gratitude that we have reached this milestone. This indeed shows that from our humble beginning in 2008, we have flourished into an active group of over 45 members composed of travel agents and tourism professionals, whose mission is to unite and foster service excellence for the traveling public,” she shared.
“As we go along, we remain committed in professionalizing the tourism industry and we vow to continue strengthening our efforts in attracting more inbound tourists, of course, through the world-class Clark International Airport,” she added.
She furthered that another endeavor of PATS is to discover and introduce more local destinations in Central Luzon, to propel the region’s tourism sector and economic growth, as well as generate investments and employment for the people.
“Through the help of our local government units and the Department of Tourism Region III, we are currently exploring the region’s diverse tourism assets. Moreover, aside from exposing our members to these emerging sites, we also help them gain more knowledge on how they can promote these must-see places, through regular familiarization tours and meetings with the stakeholders,” she added.
Clark International Airport Corporation President and CEO Alexander Caugiran, for his part, acknowledged the vital role of PATS in helping increase Clark International Airport’s passenger traffic, which peaked at more than 1.5 million during the first 7 months of the year.
“From January to August, we have the recorded the highest number of passenger in the history of the airport. This achievement, one way or another, can be attributed to our groups of travel agency operators like PATS who help entice local and foreign tourists utilize our efficient and convenient airport,” he noted.
“In turn, I give my word of honor that we will continue to upgrade not only our services but also our facilities, which all of us can benefit from upon the completion of the first phase of our master-planned terminal project, two years from now,” he concluded.