Ambiente, Europe’s leading trade fair for the consumer goods industry, opened on February 9, 2018 at Frankfurt, Germany. This annual event provides a platform for wholesale buyers and suppliers around the world to meet, while giving the public previews of the best and the most innovative consumer goods products currently in the market.

Consul General Lillibeth V. Pono of the Philippine Embassy in Berlin met with the Filipino exhibitors at the Lifestyle Philippines block and she expressed the Philippine Embassy in Berlin’s support in promoting Filipino products in Germany. She assured the exhibitors that the Embassy is committed to promoting the Filipino brand in Germany, in collaboration with the Embassy’s Trade Attaché (from DTI-Philippine Trade and Investment Center) and Tourism Attaché (from the Department of Tourism).

A total of thirty-four (34) Filipino companies, fourteen (14) of showcased their products with support and assistance from the Department of Trade and Industry’s Center for International Expositions and Missions (CITEM) and the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB).

Participating Filipino exhibitors offered quality artisanal ornamental and home products made from various natural products abundantly found in the Philippines, such as abaca (Manila hemp), rattan, hard woods, clay and natural stones, and recycled materials handcrafted by the communities from where the companies are based.

The list of the Filipino exhibitors are: 33 Point 3 Exports, Inc, 1968 Export Corporation, Aerostone Inc., Anastacio Ceramics, Arden Classic Inc., Artisana Island Crafts, Asia Ceramics Corporation, Eliano Baluyut Pottery, Inc., Celestial Arts, Inc., Chanalli, Chrysara-Carats Manufacturing, Inc., Contemporaneo Design Enterprise, CSM Philippines, Inc., Culture Sway Export International, Dekokraft, Inc., Freden Exports Phils. Corp., Gardini Picanti, Goltrio Inc., GSG by Flora Creatives, Home Edition Mfg. Corp., Island Accents, Inc., Larone Crafts, Inc., Markalex Creative Craft Corp., Marsse Tropical Timber Plantations, Inc., Nature’s Legacy Eximport, Inc., Oriental Handicraft, Inc., PumiceUnlimited Ventures, Red Slab Pottery, Shell Arts Co. Inc., Shelmed Cottage Treasures, Silay Export Inc., South Seas Native Treasures, Inc.,TADECO Home and Terra Cotta Art Works, Inc. END.

Fun, hip, and modern—that was the image of the Philippines which visitors to the Museum Embankment Festival (Museumsuferfest) 2016, in Frankfurt am Main from 25-27 August 2016, took home with them.

The annual festival turns the banks of the Main River, with its impressive row of museums, into a giant stage and backdrop for varied cultural performances, including music, theater, and dance. This year, it drew an estimated two million visitors eager to enjoy the sunshine as temperatures soared.

The Department of Tourism’s Frankfurt Office, led by Tourism Attaché Margarita Valdes, partnered with Frankfurter Musikbühne, which organized a stage at the Museumsuferfest, to present Filipino talents. These included Fil-Austrian teen heartthrob Lukas Janisch, who won The Voice Kids Germany, and the UP Street Dance Club. Breaking away from the usual traditional numbers, their performances got the audience jiving to a more modern and trendy beat.

DOT-Frankfurt further brightened the festival by distributing 1,000 luminous LED balloons emblazoned with the More Fun in the Philippines logo. There was a booth where people could have their photos taken against popular tourist destinations in the country, and a counter serving Philippine-inspired cocktail drinks to help people cool down from the heat.

“Through our participation in the Museumsuferfest, we were able to showcase an intriguing and versatile travel destination for the people of the Rhine-Main region,” said Ms. Valdes. “We wanted to convey how much fun and joy could be found in the Philippines’ 7,107 islands, with its diverse offerings for different target groups.”

Ambassador Melita Sta. Maria-Thomeczek was interviewed during the festival by Mr. Matthias Gürtler of Touristik Aktuell, a weekly tourism magazine, who asked her why the Philippines is now trending as a travel destination among Germans. “First and foremost, we have a very good product, and we are proud of it,” the Ambassador replied. “The Philippines has so much to offer and that is why we have embarked on great campaigns to tell the world about it.”

Aside from the festival participation, Philippine tourism also received extensive exposure in various Frankfurt publications throughout the month of August, including features in the Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung, Frankfurter Rundschau, the Frankfurter Neue Press, Mix Am Mittowoch, Journal Frankfurt, and radio station Antenne Frankfurt, which has simultaneous broadcasts in 15 other areas around Germany. (end)