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PHL participation in int’l, local travel and trade fairs yields more than P3 billion in business leads - DOT Chief

Speaking before members of the press during Manila Bay on May 24, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco discussed the tourism roadmap for the Philippines under the post-pandemic economy and the efforts of the Department to transform the Philippines into a tourism powerhouse in Asia. - PHL participation in int’l, local travel, and trade events In a bid to transform the Philippines as a tourism powerhouse in Asia, she said that the Marcos administration has continuously promoted the Philippines domestically and globally. “Through the efforts of the DOT and our attached agency, the Tourism Promotions Board, we have ushered in no less than P3.33 billion in estimated sales leads generated out of the various international expos that we have participated in across all hemispheres in the world–in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and the like.” - PHL tourism branding On the highly anticipated launch of the enhanced tourism slogan, the tourism chief underscored that the agency will continue to market the country as a “fun destination,” it would also highlight that the Philippines is a destination with a rich and diverse Filipino culture that can offer substantial, immersive and purposeful experiences, perfectly matched with the love and warm and hospitality of the Filipino people. “We are enhancing the tourism slogan and we’ll definitely take into consideration the opinion of our various stakeholders. May I just highlight that global trends supported by data from various reliable and reputable tourism-related publications have indicated that post-pandemic, people’s reasons for travel have also changed, chief of which is that people now wish to have some sense of substantive, immersive, and cultural authentic experiences where they have opportunities to get to know the culture of the place that they’re visiting. People also value the opportunity to get to know communities. These trends correspond very well to the assets of Philippine tourism that have yet to be fully maximized–our culture, our people, our communities. And that is why the enhanced tourism slogan will give our country an opportunity to market itself not just as a fun destination which it will continue to be, but also a destination for everything else that includes highlighting our culture and our people,” she said. - Investment opportunities in PHL tourism “May I also qualify that the promotion of the Philippines tourism does not hinge on a branding campaign alone. More importantly, it highly depends on product development, improving aspects of the Philippine tourism industry that situates our country lower than our ASEAN neighbors,” the tourism chief added, highlighting the importance of infrastructure, connectivity, and digitalization which have been identified by the President as a priority of the current administration. Also highlighting the need for tourism infrastructure, Secretary Frasco discussed the existing flagship tourism enterprise zones (TEZ) that are ready for investment which include San Vicente, Palawan; Panglao Island in Bohol, Corregidor Island in Cavite; Mt. Samat in Bataan; Clark, Pampanga; the vicinity of Rizal Park where the Manila Ocean Park is presently located; and 15 other registered TEZs. “So, what our fellow Filipinos can expect is that the Marcos Administration is investing in tourism, not just in our well-known destinations, but also in our lesser-known destinations,” the Secretary said.

Eve Air Mobility Completes eVTOL Wind Tunnel Testing

Eve Air Mobility (“Eve”) (NYSE: EVEX, EVEXW) recently completed wind tunnel testing of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle. The testing, which was conducted at a wind tunnel near Lucerne, Switzerland, utilized a scale model of Eve’s eVTOL which is projected to enter service in 2026. Wind tunnel testing is an important engineering tool used in the development of an aircraft. The testing allows engineers to monitor the flow of air over and around the vehicle and each of its individual parts. It is also used to measure the aerodynamic forces and moments acting on the vehicle, allowing the team to evaluate the vehicle’s lift, efficiency, flying qualities and performance. The main objective of the test was to investigate and validate how components including fuselage, rotors, wing, tail and other surfaces would perform in flight. Wind tunnel testing provides a unique view of aerodynamic behavior of complex geometry and provides a higher level of validation of design characteristics. The tests are part of an effort to acquire experimental data to validate production solutions, development tools and models which also includes other test articles such as fixed and moving rigs, flying vehicles and other wind tunnel tests. “The completion of wind tunnel testing is an important engineering milestone as we continue the development of our eVTOL,” said Luiz Valentini, chief technology officer at Eve Air Mobility. “The information we obtained during this phase of development has helped us further refine the technical solutions of our eVTOL before committing to production tooling and conforming prototypes. Our goal is to design, produce and certify an aerodynamic and efficient eVTOL that will be used for a variety of urban air mobility missions.” Eve’s engineering team will use the data gathered through wind tunnel testing to continue to develop the eVTOL’s control laws leading to optimal performance and passenger comfort. Eve’s eVTOL is 100% electric and has a range of 60 miles (100 kilometers) allowing it to complete a variety of urban air mobility missions. Its human-centered design ensures the safety, accessibility and comfort of passengers, the pilot and the community by minimizing noise. The aircraft features a lift + cruise configuration with dedicated rotors for vertical flight and fixed wings to fly on cruise, with no components required to change position during flight. It will be piloted at launch, but ready for autonomous operations in the future.

The 2023 Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung Palace is held

‘The 2023 Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung Palace’ – which is jointly promoted by the Cultural Heritage Administration Royal Palaces and Tombs Center (Director: Jeong Seong-jo), the Changdeokgung Palace Management Office (Director: Park Geun-yong), and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation (President: Choi Young-chang) - will be held at Changdeokgung Palace for two days on May 28 and June 4. ‘The Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung Palace’ is a royal culture event held at Changdeokgung Palace - a nighttime program where participants can enjoy the charm of the old palace while strolling around Changdeokgung Palace’s secret garden holding Cheongsachorong lanterns that light the way under the soft moonlight. Due to COVID-19, it was held as a domestic event from 2020 to 2022, making it difficult for foreigners to take part in. ‘The 2023 Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung Palace’ is run as a pilot event for foreign nationals in the first half of the year to resume as a regular event in the second half of the year. ‘The 2023 Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung Palace’ designed for foreigners in the first half of the year will be held for two days - on May 28 and June 4 - with tour sessions organized in three foreign languages such as English, Japanese, and Chinese. The tour will be available for a total of 300 foreign nationals, with 150 people served in a total of six 25-person sessions a day. The tour which begins with a moonlight tour at Donhwamun Gate and goes through Injeongjeon Hall, Nakseonjae Hall and Secret Garden, among others, ends with traditional art performances at various places of the palace. Advance reservation can be made through Ticketlink from 4 p.m. on May 10. A person can reserve up to 2 tickets online at Ticketlink. The ticket price is KRW 30,000 per person. For more details, please check the websites of the Cultural Heritage Administration Royal Palaces and Tombs Center (royal.cha.go.kr) and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation (www.chf.or.kr/chf/eng) or inquire at Ticketlink’s Global Call Center (☎1644-3850). The Cultural Heritage Administration Royal Palaces and Tombs Center hopes that foreigners residing in Korea and foreign tourists visiting Korea will participate in the tour and enjoy the beauty of Changdeokgung Palace, Korea's proud cultural heritage, while watching traditional art performances harmonized with the night view of the palace to enjoy first-hand experience of the history and beauty of Korea.