Manila, Once Overlooked by the Jetset, Gets Groovy
(PRESS RELEASE)
MANILA - Manila is back on the fast track as a travel destination, with the Saturday 14 June launch in Cubao of the Groovy Manila Map'n'Guide, the latest publication from one of South East Asia's hippest publishers, Groovy Map, who have achieved a cult following amongst business and weekend city travelers for their laminated, pocked-size map-guides offering “Fun Mapped Out” in witty prose and simplified mapping.
The disco-themed party started with a tour led by one of Manila’s best known cultural tourism hosts, Carlos Celdran, the irreverent walking tour guide whose “Living La Vida Imelda” tour earned him gold-plated credentials to manage the launch party for the Bangkok-based company.
The party started when a private train carriage scooped up revelers at Ayala Station and whisked the thumping party, playing disco-themed Filipino music, to a former shoe market in Cubao, renamed Cubao Expo. Lined with performance and street artists, the area was converted to a beatnik zone, with revelers consuming complimentary drinks till long after midnight at destination venue Mogwai Cinema and Bar.
The Groovy Manila Map 'n' Guide CoverSince its first publication of the ever-popular “Groovy Bangkok Map’n’ Guide” back in 1996, this Bangkok-based publisher has expanded titles to cover major cities as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Sydney and beach destinations such as Bali and Phuket. It is now Manila’s turn to hit the Groovy Map radar.
Aaron Frankel, Founder of Groovy Map, celebrates with Carlos Celdran, famous walking tour guide and organizer of the event, the successful launch of their latest travel product, the Groovy Manila Map'n'Guide, aimed at business and weekend city travelers.Said Aaron Frankel, MD and Founder of Groovy Map, who flew in for the launch, "Manila is a booming city, so it's time to put it ‘on the map’ and show travelers why it really is groovy."
Adds, Carlos Celdran, “the Philippines started Asia on the travel wish list by hosting the Miss Universe Pageant in 1974 and building Asia’s first Convention Center, but we stumbled soon after, and are only now starting to pick up where we left off, twenty years ago.”
Groovy Manila Map 'n' Guide Detail.Groovy Map aims to change the perception of Manila too.
The city offers plenty of things to do and see, many of which are covered by the new Groovy Manila Map’n’ Guide. From where to go for a pampering massage to how to order a merienda, from dining in a Dickensian mansion to drinking in art-houses with dotcom savvy beatniks, Groovy Manila has it covered. “Finally this city is getting the attention it deserves as a groovy hot- spot” says Frankel “There’s a lot more to Manila than meets the eye.”
The bestselling Groovy Maps are marketed as an executive brief to a city, and are an attractive pocket-sized folded map, with one side offering witty and insightful tips on the best dining, bars, clubs, and shopping areas to hit, and the other, simplified and color-coded maps to the city. The slick, laminated product promises “everything you need to get the most of a city in a short time,” and if reviews are anything to go by, the map seems to deliver with an average 5-star rating on Amazon.com and plenty of fan mail on its own website, www.groovymap.com.
Frankel expects brisk sales in the Philippines and predicts the map will soon outsell the home market in Thailand due to the penetration rate of English amongst the population, and the boom in tourism.
Travel is on an upsurge in the Philippines, with visitor arrivals for January to April 2008 jumping 7.5% over last year’s volume, with visitors from the USA, Korea, Japan, and Australia accounting respectively for 18.5%, 17.9%. 11.5% and 5% of the foreign visitor market, and arrivals from many European countries jumping by double digit rates. Adding to the domestic equation, an estimated 33 million Filipinos make 2 or more domestic trips, and 2.7* million Filipinos travel overseas, nearly equal to the 3 million inbound visitors.
This is clearly a growth market in a country with a mixed cultural heritage, interesting historical roots and an abundance of natural attractions Often overlooked by other rival SE Asian cities, Manila is an inexpensive travel destination where almost 80% of the 67 million Filipinos are English speakers, making it a user-friendly market for Western visitors.
Positioning the Philippines as an adventure destination has begun to bear fruits, showing the ability of the Philippines to attract tourists for second and third trips, a crucial element to build upon inter-regional visitors. For instance, Thailand, which is pushing 14.5 million visitors per year is the envy of other nations for achieving a return rate of 51%, meaning 1 of 2 visitors will make another trip to Thailand in the future. However, with growth only 4.65% last year, Thailand is stumbling and the Philippines might pick up the slack with lower priced accommodation and more value-for-money beach destinations.
Good things lie ahead for Philippines tourism, and getting recognized by the jet-set only foreshadows groovy growth ahead.
The maps are being distributed by United Tourism Promotions, the publishers, of the E-Z brand of maps and atlas’, and the maps are already available in National Bookstores and soon will be distributed nationwide. Carlos Celdran said he will offer them to those taking his tours as well.
Contacts For Press/Interested Parties:Niki Thongborisute at niki@groovymap.com or mobile +668-1649-6684Aaron Frankel at aaron.f@groovymap.com or mobile +668-1612-9663Any Groovy Maps gladly sent for reviewLarger photographs available on request –300dpi and up to A4 sizeCarlos Celdran: +63 (2) 484 4945, Mobile +63 (917) 8861080UTP Distributors: Contact Lorena, UTP, Angeles City Headquarters: 16-14 Marlim Avenue, Diamond Subdivision, Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga, 2009, Tel: (+63)(045) 322-8767 , +63045625-7708; Tel/Fax: (+63)(045) 625-7708
Go to Mogwai this weekend. My friend Caliph8 is playing. The dude rocks. He did the soundtrack to my Soul Train event to Cubao X. This Saturday promises to have lots of good art and good music and good people hanging around Cubao X. 
I used to intern with these guys when I lived in New York back in the mid-90's. I was a lighting controller for their production of "Flipzoids" at the Theater for the New City. I still think "Flipzoids" by Ralph Pena is one of the best plays about the Philippine experience that I have ever seen. Can't wait to see their new stuff next week...
The event is pay-what-you-can, or FREE to those who can't afford anything. All proceeds will be donated to Philippine theaters and playwrights.
I HEART DR. CULIAT
JETSET PARTY PUTS MANILA ON THE MAP!
The Groovy Manila Map 'n' Guide Cover
Aaron Frankel, Founder of Groovy Map, celebrates with Carlos Celdran, famous walking tour guide and organizer of the event, the successful launch of their latest travel product, the Groovy Manila Map'n'Guide, aimed at business and weekend city travelers.
Groovy Manila Map 'n' Guide Detail.
OKAY. Now I make my acknowledgements and do my shout-outs. Yeah. I know. I'm selling my soul and not even for rock and roll. First. Thank you to Jerome of MetroHim Magazine for picking me as one of Manila's Gentlemen, Philippine Graphic Magazine for picking me as one of the Philippine's 18 Young Leaders, and Landco Pacific for choosing me to wax poetic about their leisure developments. Thanks also to BK Magazine of Bangkok for the great feature (below).
Moreover, a million thanks to my friend Marjorie for the great Sigg Water Bottle (I use it now on my tours) and Collezione for the cool shirts from Rhett Eala's My Philippines Collection (the one with the Philippine map above).
Also, check out this great clip on YouTube called RealManila. It's done by PsychoCow productions. They said that they were inspired to do a RealManila page after coming only to one tour. These guys are so sweet. I hope we could collaborate someday on a project.
Finally, a million thanks to Aaron Frankel for choosing me to launch the Groovy Manila Map 'n' Guide in Manila. It's really a great guide. The launch party in Cubao was a blast. Thanks a gazillion to Peng and Vickie Perez de Tagle for helping us make a party on the MRT train, Donna Miranda, Weewilldoodle, KOLEKTIB, Mark Zero, and Caliph8 for providing the entertainment, and of course, Mogwai for the great service and booze. Press release to follow...
Yeah, I know, I still need a bit more to go, and I hit a low of 165 a month ago, but due to my really hectic schedule this past month (and I mean HECTIC), I haven't found enough time to sleep, much less work out as much as I should. Not to mention, when the hectic times hit, I hit the San Miguel Pale. So because of that, I still seem to be hovering around 168-170 ish pounds. But now that this endorsement is over, check out the other free samples I got yesterday.
A foundation called ProHAIR (which helps folks with Male Pattern Balding) gave me some free samples of Finasteride (aka Propecia) to try out after I attended their website launch event at the Mandarin Oriental. I'm still wondering why they gave it to me.