Seizing the Philippines’ tourism potential

The Philippines is among the top tourist destinations in the world, making tourism a major contributor to its economy. In 2023, the tourism sector posted an 8.6% contribution to the Philippine Gross Domestic Product. The number not only show tourism’s impact, but it also affirms the potential of the Philippines as a prime hub for meetings, incentive travel, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism industry.

Expanding horizons with MICE
The MICE industry is geared towards planning, organizing, and implementing business events.

Leveraging its status as an outstanding travel hotspot, the Philippines has been actively positioning itself as a premier destination for MICE. Aside from its popular tourism offerings, the country is also home to numerous convention centers located in strategic areas across the nation. May it be for small groups or large-scale receptions, organizers and venue seekers have many options ready for the task.

Some MICE destinations that the Philippines has to offer include Manila, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Bacolod, Clark, and the Subic Bay Freeport. These hotspots offer exceptional tourism products and services, as well as vast opportunities for business. Not only that, they also have consistently growing local economies that attract investors.

Other localities are also working hard to seize opportunities in the MICE industry. For instance, Iloilo has been gaining ground by building roads, a modern airport, and multiple commerce spaces in the last two decades. In 2015, it established the Iloilo Convention Center, fostering the growth of the MICE industry in the city.

Central Luzon is not one to get left behind. In fact, the recently concluded Philippine MICE Conference 2024 (MICECON 2024) was held at the SMX Convention Center Clark in Pampanga from July 10 to 12. Following the theme “MICE XD: Xperience Diversified”, the event underscored the significance of technology, inclusion, and diversity in shaping the industry’s future.  Subject experts led discussions and covered topics including artificial intelligence, crisis recovery and reputation management, inclusive event planning, digital marketing and the appeal of in-person experiences, as well as training and upskilling of the tourism workforce.

Spotlight on Clark
This is the second time that Clark hosted the prestigious convention. In her opening message, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said: "Clark’s selection as the host of MICECON 2024 is a recognition of its readiness and potential as a premier MICE destination. The Clark Freeport Zone’s accessibility, state-of-the-art conference venues, and comprehensive support services are very well prepared to welcome all the participants of MICECON 2024.”

It first hosted the event in 2014, an experience which planted the possibilities for its economic future with tourism and MICE. Poised as the ultimate tourism destination in Central Luzon, the 4,400-hectare Clark Freeport Zone was developed with business and tourism as its primary goals.

Location played an important role in its positioning as a prime MICE hub. Strategically situated only 80 kilometers north of Metro Manila, Clark is accessible via the North Luzon Expressway. It also serves as a gateway to Northern and Central Luzon via the Clark International Airport, which currently flies to ten international and six domestic destinations. Being only two to four hours away via air travel to other major Asian destinations, this aerotropolis is also a natural entry point to the Asia Pacific Region.

Infrastructure-wise, Clark is home to an assortment of facilities that are up-to-spec for high-end and IT-enabled industries, aviation, logistics enterprises, and tourism—including MICE. It currently has 80 convention or meeting facilities, 3,608 rooms and villas, and 146 dining establishments. To improve Clark’s portfolio, expansion of existing facilities and construction of new ones are either being planned or already in progress. A train system connecting Clark to its adjacent regions is also underway.

Clark today is the result of years of careful planning and painstaking work by everyone who collaborated for its development—the locals, the government, and the public and private sectors. A showcase of success, Clark leads the way for other localities that also hold the potential to succeed with MICE.

Go for MICE
For our local economies, the MICE industry brings employment opportunities, profit, and business growth. But more importantly in the grander scheme of things, it helps put the Philippines in the global spotlight, opening more opportunities for international trade, as well as knowledge and technology exchanges.

According to Grand View Research, a market research and consulting company based in India and the US, the Asia-Pacific MICE market in 2023 was valued at $183.47 billion, and projections expect it to grow 10% by 2030. This shows that there is much to gain from developing the Philippines’ capability to host the MICE sector.

Acknowledging its valuable contributions, Tourism Secretary Frasco emphasized: "By positioning the Philippines as a premier MICE destination, we foster economic growth and provide invaluable opportunities for our people.”

With sufficient support and collaboration between stakeholders, the future is bright for the Philippines as a premier MICE destination.

*   *   *

M.I.C.E.CON is organized by the Tourism Promotions Board, an attached agency of the Department of Tourism, that is tasked to promote the Philippines as a world-class tourism and MICE destination. The event gathers MICE professionals for an opportunity to learn new global trends in business meetings, to network with other MICE experts, and to explore the host location’s facilities.