To kick off the “Visit the Philippines 2016” in Poland, the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw participated in the City of Poznan’s biggest tourism promotion event dubbed Tour Salon from February 12 to 14, 2016. It was the first time-ever in the 42 years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Poland and since the Philippine Embassy re-opened in Warsaw in 2009, that the Philippines took part in Tour Salon. At least 2,032 Poles visited the Philippine booth based on the total number of the Polish version of “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” brochures given to booth visitors. CDs of Philippine “kundiman” were also given away to increase awareness about the Philippines’ heritage and culture about which very little is known in Poland. During the Tour Salon’s three-day run, Ambassador Ms. Patricia Ann V. Paez and Attache Ms. Evelyn Vega had several meetings. The account manager of “Meet the Bidder” Mr. Marcin Lewandowski invited the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw to participate in its program which “offers exclusive meetings with carefully selected Polish meeting planners.” Each participant or “supplier” receives a full schedule of one-to-one appointments with key prospective MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Events) buyers. “Meet the Bidder” is held four times a year: 15 March, 14 April, 23 June and 23 November. Mr. Rafal Jankowiak of Misja Travel which has been offering pilgrimage tours to Poland is looking for a Philippine partner-travel agency that also offers pilgrimage tours in the Philippines. Mr. Robert Borkowski, co-founder and managing director of the of Sven Hedin Travel Group said that his travel company has been offering tours to European destinations but wants to take a new path by offering tours to Asia, including the Philippines. He said that he is looking for Philippine partners. Amb. Paez gave him a list of travel qgencies/tour operators which specialize in the European market. Mr. Mateusz Pieniazek of MT Targi Polska urged the Embassy to participate once more in LATO 2016 which will be held from 22 to 24 April 2016 (the Polish word ‘lato” means “summer.”) The Philippine Embassy in Warsaw first participated in LATO 2013 and won the “Most Professsional and Creative Booth Award.” Architect Wojciech Wycichowski of the Art_Embassies World Project in Lodz, Poland extended an invitation to the Philippines to set up a mini-art embassy in the City of Lodz which was conveived to compliment its revitalization. Ms. Celina Dtugakczyk, director of Gaminco offered her company’s services to organize Philippine promotion events in the region of Silesia. Indonesia’s Ambassador H. E. Mr. Peter Gontha also dropped by the Philippine booth. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines were the only Asian countries which participated in this year’s edition of Tour Salon. During the Gala dinner, the president of the Polish Chamber of Tourism Mr. Pawel Niewiadomski informed Amb. Paez that his travel agency Holiday Tours had already sent two tour groups to the Philippines since he went on a Familiarization Tour to the Philippines in March 2014 as head of delegation of the Polish tour operators. Ms. Sylwia Lisowska, Product Manager of Opal Travel, which has been offering travel packages to the Philippines, helped at the Philippine booth and answered questions from the booth visitors. Opal Travel is presently offering a 16-day travel package to the Philippines covering Luzon, Palawan, Cebu, Bohol, and Boracay. Mr. Mariusz Dudzicki and Mr. Darek Perzanowski also served as volunteers who engaged with fellow Poles interested in going to the Philippines as tourists. Last year’s edition of Tour Salon was attended by nearly 330 companies from 20 countries and by 11,000 people half of whom were professsionals from the tourism industry.