Tuesday, July 17, 2007 Cebu seen as Mice destination By Malou M. Mozo Sun.Star Staff Reporter
AN INTERNATIONAL hotel chain plans to increase corporate bookings this year as it foresees the strong potential of Cebu to become an emerging destination for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice).
Cebu City Marriott Hotel (CCMH) general manager Roy Abraham said Cebu’s successful hosting of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in January has become a magnet for both foreign travelers since the province “has a little of everything” in terms of business and leisure activities.
“I think now we are getting to reap the benefits of the Asean summit. Cebu is going to be in the map for Mice,” added Ann Olalo, CCMH director for sales and marketing.
In January, CCMH hosted 150 delegates from India, one of the dialogue partners of the Asean member-countries.
According to Abraham, since then, CCMH has been getting inquiries for incentives from different multinational companies engaged in off-shore selling.
Two years ago, the hotel was able to capitalize on the spill-over guests from the Asia Pacific convention.
“This is what Cebu can nurture on, growing the Mice market where many of the hotels and resorts can benefit,” he said.
International corporate bookings, which the hotel most commonly receives, hail from the information technology (IT) industry, owing to the province’s and, in general, the Philippines’ strong potential of becoming the premier destination for the global business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, he said.
Among the countries the local hotel industry can capitalize on are China and India—two of the giant markets in Asia and composed of more than one billion in population.
In India, for example, Abraham said the increase of the middle-income market has allowed most of its citizens to travel and seek opportunities abroad, among which is the Philippines.
“There is now an emergence of Indian businessmen in the Philippines and in Cebu,” he said.
Efforts
The increase of the interest of Indian nationals to the country is attributed to the efforts of the Department of Tourism, which set up a tourism office in New Delhi, India, he told reporters.
However he has identified Thailand as the country’s main competitor in the Mice market, brought about by its attractive incentives for business travelers, among others.
Meanwhile, to help market the province as a destination for business and leisure, Olalo said Marriott has been conducting global sales missions to different countries.
This is in addition to CCMH’s planned “multi-million” renovation beginning next year.
The improvement of its rooms and existing amenities will position the hotel as a “true business hotel,” in terms of Internet connectivity and in-room entertainment, said Abraham.
CCMH has 301 rooms and draws Europeans, Chinese, Japanese, Americans and domestic tourists annually.
