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Speaking at the launch, the ambassador said, “This is one way of raising awareness about the Philippines as each taxi displays various destinations from the country. We hope to encourage more and more Indian travellers to discover the beautiful islands. The Philippines has a lot to offer and its slogan, ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines’ has been very helpful in attracting more tourists.”
India, which presently ranks as 12th in terms of source market for tourist arrivals in the Philippines, witnessed 53,498 Indian tourists travelling to the Philippines during January-July this year as compared to 42,658 tourists for the same period last year, registering a growth of 25.41%. In 2015, over 74,824 Indians visited the Philippines, registering a growth of 22.36%.
SanJeet, Tourism Attaché, Philippines Tourism Marketing Office India, says, “Indian families, honeymooners and conference attendees travelled to the Philippines for its beautiful islands, serene landscapes, culture and cuisine and helped record 65% growth in the month of July 2016 itself.”
Philippines also recently hosted the annual celebration of the Masskara Festival in the city of Bacolod in Negros Island. This festival, which takes place every October, is one of the most attended festivals in the country.
The word masskara, which means ‘mask,’ explains the festival’s distinct characteristic, with dancers wearing smiling masks adorned with beads and other ornaments. The festival features carnivals, fairs and a Mardi-Gras style celebration by costumed and masked street dancers.
The story behind the festival is quite sorrowful and is contrary to the smiling faces of the masks worn by people celebrating the festival.
Other events, which were part the festival, included a dance-off contest where participants show off their skills, a beauty pageant, and food frenzies along with live music.
Source: travelnewsdigest.in