(From left) Tourism Attaché Gerry Panga, Ms. Antonietta La Mantia of Mappa Mondo, Mr. Teck Hui Wong, General Manager of Singapore Airlines for Italy, Philippine Ambassador to Italy Domingo P. Nolasco, Mr.Terrence Thong, and Mr. Roberto Martellino of Singapore Airlines, and Ms. Katherine Alcantara of DOT London.

08 June 2017 ROME - The Philippines, in a consumer activation project, took over 30 ad screens, the floors, and the gates of the Fiumicino Aeroporto Railway Station, a major train station in Rome, to promote Philippine tourism.

Around the station, promotional Philippine tourism videos play constantly on screens while graphics of Philippine sceneries decorate the walls, floors, and ticket of Fiumicino Station. Philippine travel guides and tourism paraphernalia are also given away at the activation.

The consumer activation also brought the scenes of the white sand beach of Panglao, Bohol to the station, creating a photo wall where bystanders can seat on beach chairs and have their photo taken, as if they are in the Philippines.

Led by the Philippine Department of Tourism-London Office and supported by the Philippine Embassy in Rome, the consumer activation was made possible with partnerships from Singapore Airlines and Mappa Mondo, a major Italian tour operator.

Philippine Ambassador to Italy Domingo P. Nolasco said, "We are very excited about this consumer activation, especially as it comes at the 70th anniversary of Philippine-Italian relations on July 09. Italian tourists visiting the Philippines not only have a great time, but also strengthen our people-to-people ties." The official Philippine-Italian 70th Anniversary logo is also featured at the consumer activation.

Tourism Attaché Gerry Panga of DOT London said that there was a 20% growth in Italian tourist arrivals to the Philippines from 2015 to 2016. He also said that for the first quarter of 2017, Italian tourist arrivals increased by 28%, the highest growth rate among Southern Europe countries.

The Philippine consumer activation runs from June 06 to 11. END

For more information, visit www.dfa.gov.ph, www.facebook.com/dfaphl, and @dfaphl on Twitter.

Philippine tourism graphics decorate the ticket barriers of Rome Fiumicino Station. This year's consumer activation comes during the 70th Year of Philippine-Italian Relations.

A traveler at Fiumicino Station have a taste of the Philippines through virtual reality (VR). The VR shows Philippine tourist destinations, beaches, and underwater view of Philippine seas.