Cebu needs to reignite appeal to MICE events

CEBU, Philippines — Known for its strong appeal for MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibits) events pre-pandemic, Cebu is called to “reinvigorate” its push in this sector as many provinces are also starting to get a fair chunk of this market post pandemic.

In an interview with Collier Philippines senior director for research Joey Roi Bondoc, he said as MICE events are slowly improving, Cebu should catch up with competitor provinces otherwise it will lose its edge in this high revenue contributor in the tourism industry.

Bondoc suggested that aside from mounting extensive marketing promotion to sustain Cebu’s appeal to MICE, it should also work on adding more facilities that will meet the growing demand.

Bondoc reminded players in Cebu’s MICE sector that re-building to attract these kinds of activities are an opportunity to target long-haul and high-spending foreign travelers.

“They also drive hotel demand in the country and lift average daily rates and occupancies.”

Post-pandemic, Cebu is now being challenged by equally attractive destinations such as Iloilo, Bacolod, Clark, and even Bohol, aside from its main competitor—Metro Manila.

Quest Hotel & Conference Center-Cebu general manager Mia Singson-Leon affirmed that the MICE events are starting to come in although not yet at the level of pre-pandemic.

The Philippine government through the Department of Tourism (DOT) is looking at registering 4.8 million foreign tourists in 2023, up from 2.7 million recorded in 2022.

Led by a Cebuana chief, Christina G. Frasco, DOT is working on its MICE Roadmap where it aims to position the Philippines as among the top 10 Mice destinations in the International Congress and Convention Association’s global ranking by 2030.

The roadmap also targets Mice revenues to reach P25 billion (US$454.5 million) by 2030, while Mice arrivals are projected to grow by three percent annually from 2020 to 2030.

According to Bondoc, the revival of MICE segment should provide an impetus for developers to expand their leisure presence by building new hotels and MICE facilities within and outside Metro Manila.