Davao organizers move to get share of MICE market

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is supporting Davao’s program to attract more clients in the  Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Event (MICE) market.

“As far as Davao is concerned, the facility with regard to holding big events are ready,” said Eden Josephine David, DOT-XI chief tourism operations  officer for marketing, promotions and planning.

David said that the DOT-XI recently launched its MICE Desk to assist planners and organizers in their MICE projects in the Davao region.

The tourism department described Davao as one of the Philippines most promising cities and was shaping up to be the next convention city in the country.

The tourism department has partnered with the private sector such as the SMX and Radisson Blu Hotel to give the program a marketing boost.

“We also bid for international events,” David said.

Charry Casabar, national sales director of SMX Convention Center, agreed.

Casabar said SMX Davao had the capacity to accommodate large conventions.

She said that she would recommend participants and guests to avail the facilities and services of Park Inn, a sister company of Radisson Blu.

Casabar said that the facilities of Park Inn, a sister company of Radisson Blu, could also handle big events.

Casabar was one of the organizers of the Davao Roadshow on Friday in Cebu.

Organizers also encouraged Cebuano businessmen to attend the food expo this September.

On May 30 to June 2, they said there would also be a Korean Trade fair in Davao.

David said that they were hoping to get more foreign visitors from the US, Japan, South Korea and Australia.

However, she said they were focusing on local tourists.

“But mostly we are domestic. So we already hit our 1 million mark last year. We are looking to increase 10 percent more annually,” David said.

Based on the executive order of DOT secretary, their target is to hit 10 million mark for 2016.

“Davao is already contributing a million,”David said./Correspondent Tweeny M. Malinao