Northstar

Destination Philippines 34 JUL-AUG 2019 MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS MCMAG-ASIA.COM The Philippines would seem almost purpose built for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events. Ever since it played host to the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Joint Conference in 1976 – the same year it established its showpiece Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) – Manila has positioned itself as one of the region's premier convention cities. Since then, the Philippines MICE industry has radiated out from this hub. Other centres throughout the archipelago of more than 7,000 islands are now vying with Manila for MICE supremacy. Davao in the southern island of Mindanao and Cebu in the central Philippines are already key MICE massive Belt & Road infrastructure push and in many of its regional cities, it shows. New roads, new airports, modern and professional convention centres and chain-brand hotels are making it the !rst choice for investors who need to be close to its thriving commercial centres. While the country's stellar GDP growth of recent years has eased slightly - advancing 5.6% year-on-year in the !rst quarter of 2019 and below the market consensus of 6.1% - tourist arrivals have shown no let up. More than 2.2 million foreign tourists visited the Philippines in the !rst quarter of 2019, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT), a 7.59% increase from the same period last year. South Korea and China are the main source markets for these arrivals and the government is eyeing 8.2 million tourists by the end of 2019, up from 7.7 million in 2018. The DOT estimates that around 8% of these arrivals are MICE visitors. Recapturing its share of MICE What this means for MICE is signi!cant growth. The industry currently has revenues of around PhP5 billion a year ($US95 million) but is targeting an ambitious !vefold increase of PhP24.8 billion by 2030. destinations. Other new centres such as Iloilo – which established its Iloilo Convention Center (ICC) in 2015 – are also building momentum. At Asia Pacific's crossroads When you look at the key statistics for the Philippines it's hardly surprising. Positioned at the crossroads of the Asia Paci!c, the Philippines has always enjoyed proximity to the region's trade routes. A Spanish colony from 1521 to 1898, from which it traces its Hispanic roots, and an American colony until 1946, the reason that English is so !rmly entrenched, Filipinos retain a high service ethic and are famous for their hospitality. Today it is a major hub for China's The Philippines might not have the mega-spaces and mega- events of its regional rivals, but what it does offer is value for money and some of the best locations in the world. WORDS PETER SHADBOLT Finding Its Niche THREE FAST FACTS • FACT #1: The Philippines has more coastline on its 7,641 islands than the whole of the United States. • FACT #2: There are more than 155 convention centres across the archipelago • FACT #3: The Philippines had 7.7 million visitors in 2018 – 8% of these MICE attendees SMX Convention Center in Pasay.

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