Philippine envoy to Poland Ambassador Patricia Ann V. Paez welcomes Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo at the Krakow International Airport; from L to R: Mr. Robert Teo, Sec. Wanda Teo, Executive Assistant Ms. Marinella Lopez, Director Czarina Loyola, and Amb. Paez

DOT Sec. Teo in a meeting with the president of Marianum Travel (Marian Fathers Pilgrimage and Tour Company) Fr. Jan Mikolaj Rokosz (right, foreground) and the company’s Business Development Manager Mr. Maciej Talar; also in photo are Mr. Teo, DOT Undersecretary Mr. Rolando Canizal (3rd on the left side) and Amb. Paez

DOT Sec. Teo with officials of Marianum Travel; in photo (clockwise) are Assistant to the Ambassador for Economic and Cultural Diplomacy Mr. Oskar Groblewski, Mr. Talar, Fr. Rokosz, Mr. Teo, Sec. Teo, and Usec. Canizal

DOT Sec. Teo gives a copy of the Polish version of the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” brochure to Mr. Andrzej Czaplinski (left side, foreground) of the Krakow Tourism Office; also in photo (clockwise) are Mr. Groblewski, Ms. Wioletta Adamczyk of the Krakow Tourism Office; Director General of Cracovia Travel and member of the Krakow Chamber of Tourism Mr. Tomasz Ziolo, Sec, Teo and Usec. Canizal

L to R: Usec. Canizal, Mr. Czaplinski, Ms.Balos, Sec. Teo, Mr. Ziolo, Ms. Adamczyk, Amb. Paez, and Mr. Groblewski

Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Mrs. Wanda Corazon T. Teo visited the City of Krakow in Poland from 10 to 13 March 2017 to promote reciprocal faith-based or pilgrimage tours between the Philippines and Poland.

During her official visit - the first-ever visit by a Philippines Tourism Secretary to Poland - Sec. Teo met with the officials of Marianum Travel (Marian Fathers Pilgrimage and Tour Company), specifically with its president Fr. Jan Mikolaj Rokosz and its Business Development Manager Mr. Maciej Talar. Fr. Rokosz said that Marianum Travel has included the Philippines among the destinations for its pilgrimage tours and plans to organize a pilgrimage tour to the country ealy next year. Fr. Rokosz extended an invitation to Sec. Teo so that she could see pilgrimage sites in other parts of Poland.

Sec. Teo also met with the representatives of the Krakow Tourism Office and with the Krakow Chamber of Tourism, namely, Mr. Andrzej Czaplinski, Mr. Tomasz Ziolo, Ms. Wioleta Adamczyk, and Ms.Sabina Balos.

The DOT Secretary invited them to come to the Phllippines to see its various pilgrimage sites. During her visit, Sec. Teo and her team also visited the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy and Saint John Paul II Sanctuary which are in close proximity to each other. Saint John Paul II, a native of Poland, had served as a  bishop in the City of Krakow. The two Sanctuaries attract an average of 4 million tourists each year, a significant number of whom are Poles.

The official visit of DOT Sec. Teo aims to fully realize the strong potentials of reciprocal faith-based or pilgrimage tours between the Philippines and Poland which are both Catholic nations.