ILOILO CITY — The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Tuesday launched its PHP50 million three-year marketing plan that will position this highly-urbanized city of Iloilo as the primary Meetings, Incentives, Conferences/Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) destination in the Philippines.
Senator Franklin Drilon, who was the guest of honor during the event, said this can “make its mark” in the MICE tourism as it has the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC), hotels, restaurants, services, among others.
“Tourism is an engine of growth of the economy. The potential of Iloilo cannot be underestimated,” Drilon said, adding that stakeholders only lack deliberate effort and coordination to be able to market Iloilo City.
The two-day event that gathered government officials and private sectors involved in the tourism sector was highlighted by the three-year MICE tourism marketing plan presentation done by DOT Undersecretary Arturo Boncato, Jr.
“Unlike other destinations of the same MICE capacity, Iloilo City enjoys better accessibility and connectivity, infrastructure and facilities, tourism services, and the only destination that has hosted high profile meetings, special events and tours of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),” said Boncato in his presentation.
Within the three-year program implementation, the DOT plans to create MICE desk, Iloilo City MICE alliance, MICE guidelines, promotional materials and collaterals.
Also, the DOT will conduct training for MICE service providers and MICE Roadshow, and continue the training for MICE service providers.
Atty. Helen Catalbas, DOT-6 (Western Visayas) director, in her speech, said MICE industry is included in the product portfolio of Iloilo among “cultural tourism, nature- based tourism, diving and marine sports tourism, educational, leisure, entertainment, shopping tourism, culinary and food tourism.”
In a follow-up interview, Catalbas said that Iloilo MICE program will not only benefit Iloilo City.
“Guimaras and the other provinces of Western Visayas will also benefit because it will have ripple effect not only in the venue and the site of the events for the MICE but when it comes to food supply, room accommodations, and many more,” Catalbas said.
She added that aside from businessmen, the MICE in Iloilo will also benefit local artists, event organizers, tour operators, transport companies, food growers, among others.
Catalbas added that the MICE desk and the Iloilo MICE alliance will be organized in the next few months.
Following the unveiling of the marketing plan, Basic MICE Training was conducted by the Philippine Association of Conventions and Event Organizers and Suppliers (PACEOS) to selected stakeholders.
The launching and training were held at the Richmonde Hotel Iloilo in this city’s Mandurriao district.
