LAOAG CITY – The province of Ilocos Norte continued to carve its place as one of the country’s premier tourist destinations after it generated PHP6.5 million combined sales in last week's Philippine Travel Mart.

The Ilocos Norte Tourism Office (INTO) confirmed this on Wednesday, saying aside from sales in travel agencies, the province also posted a total of P180,000 in food and non-food sales during the event held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City on Sept. 5 to 7.

Ilocos Norte's booth was also awarded Best Booth 2nd Runner-Up in the Provincial/Regional Category.

The booth, inspired by the everyday life and heritage of Ilocanos, was adorned with native garlic, tobacco leaves, handwoven textiles, native baskets, and clay pots, among others.

“Beyond the numbers and recognition, the real value of our participation lies in the opportunities it opened, strengthening partnerships, building new connections, and gaining a deeper understanding of our market to guide future initiatives,” provincial tourism officer Aianree Raquel said in a statement.

Based on the latest market survey, majority or 65.7 percent of visitors in Ilocos Norte are first-time visitors while 34.2 percent are returning visitors.

Students aged 18 to 24 years old are the most interested in exploring the province, followed by the 25 to 34 and 35 to 44 age groups.

The same survey also showed that tourists mostly stay in the province for two to three days, mostly during the summer vacation.

Now running for 36 years, the Philippine Travel Mart, hosted by the Philippine Travel Operators Association, is the country’s biggest and longest-running travel trade exhibition.