ILOILO City – Iloilo as a MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) hub is seen open more opportunities to further boost the local tourism industry, drive investments and development, and create jobs.
“It will significantly contribute to the economy and in the process, improve the lives of our people,” according to Ilonggo senator Franklin Drilon who graced yesterday’s launching of the “Meet you in Iloilo” MICE campaign at the Iloilo Convention Center in Mandurriao district.
The P50-million campaign includes a basket of incentives, promotions and related tourism packages in partnership with various tourism stakeholders.
It aims to draw more tourists, business visitors and exhibitors to Iloilo City.
For her part, Tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said, “What makes Iloilo City a unique MICE destination is its rich in history, heritage and culture providing enriching experiences to delegates, and adding value to their stay.”
She added, “Hindi lang masarap ang pagkain but there are so many places to visit.”
Promoting Iloilo as a MICE center is expected to contribute significantly to Western Visayas’ development, too, said Drilon.
Iloilo has contributed significantly to the attainment of Western Visayas of its high regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rates in the last five years. The region’s GDP grew by 9.4 percent in 2015; 8.4 percent in 2016; 10.4 percent in 2017; and 6.1 percent in 2018.
Iloilo’s hospitality industry is also booming as the tourist arrivals in the province have doubled in the last five years, from 627,000 in 2013 to 1.24 million in 2018, according to Drilon.
Drilon said he is confident that the campaign will succeed, saying that Iloilo has all the makings of an excellent MICE destination.
“It is one of the few cities in the country that could host large-size conventions such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and Association of Southeast Asian Nations summits,” Drilon said.
In 2017 and 2018, Iloilo hosted a total of 46,000 participants in various meetings, conventions, trade fairs and exhibits. And for the first half of 2019, the Iloilo Convention Center was host to almost 80,000 MICE participants, he added.
“It has a strategic and accessible location – Iloilo has major connections to domestic destinations and direct links to Singapore and Hong Kong,” Drilon./PN
