More than just a destination where vibrant local festivals thrive, Iloilo is gearing up to capture the attention of association meeting planners
The city of Iloilo in western Visayas now merits a second look from meeting planners after the dramatic transformation of its tourism landscape within a short period of time.
While tourism was based mainly on festivals in the first quarter of every year, Iloilo was relaunched in 2015 as a year-round business events venue built upon the strength of an active collaboration between the local government unit (LGU) and the private sector, as well as an ongoing construction of necessary infrastructure.
Maria Lea Victoria Lara, executive director of Iloilo Business Club, said plans are afoot to “activate” the Iloilo Convention and Visitors Bureau (ICVB) to institutionalise support for meetings and attract international groups. The brainchild of former tourism secretary Narzalina Lim in mid-2000, ICVB failed to progress due to leadership changes within the Department of Tourism.
Lara said the city over the past three years has been getting mostly national conferences and conventions hosted by professional organisations, associations and various government agencies as the LGU is easy to approach for support such as airport welcome, dinner reception and other perks.
Iloilo has welcomed a few Asian meetings, including a cardiovascular convention in February this year, and hopefully, a 12-Asian country convention in November.
But the equation can change as the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan, just 20km away from the city, is getting busier with domestic flights and direct services from Singapore and Hong Kong while the newly-minted Iloilo Convention Centre in Mandurriao – on the site of the old airport which is now Iloilo Business Park – can accommodate over 4,200 pax.
The city’s first international hotel, 326-key Courtyard by Marriott near the convention centre and within Iloilo Business Park, debuted in May this year, expanding the city’s hotel inventory to 5,300 rooms even as highways are being widened, roads paved, and public spaces spruced up.
Its general manager Cleofe Albiso said Marriott group’s global sales offices are helping to promote Iloilo worldwide.
She added that “business events are really growing here and the interest is high” as more businesses open. Iloilo is also an alternative venue for business events as the cost is lower than in Manila, she pointed out.
The city is an impressive work in progress. Great Sights Travel managing director Paul So said the new lifestyle centres, commercial and business developments in the new township are being done “tastefully”, the design, architecture and town planning blending seamlessly with the “old” Iloilo which is renowned for its heritage edifices and antique landmarks.
The makeover also covers the clean up of the river and the creation of the 1.2km Iloilo River Esplanade favoured by tourists and locals alike for catching the sunset, jogging and strolling or having a meal in the nearby F&B outlets, beautification of Sunburst Park in front of the old Customs building to open more spaces for arts and heritage, and restoration of heritage sites.
But two more things need to be done to pull in more and bigger meetings: add hotels to its limited stock and beef up the number and quality of tourist transport.
Joey Bondoc, Colliers International research manager, recommended developing small hotels targeted at major foreign visitor markets like South Korea and China. They can be designed “based on what clients want”, he said, adding that hotel developers can also target meetings from South-east Asia and even small conferences for doctors, surgeons and the like.
Bondoc also suggested recalibrating and upgrading existing hotels in Iloilo “in the mould of Seda”, a homegrown brand of quality lifestyle hotels which already has a presence in Iloilo.
Concurring, Rajah Tours president Jojo Clemente said that while Iloilo “definitely has the infrastructure” for meetings, he foresee a shortage in accommodation and transport.
He explained that planners of international meetings tend to hold high expectation of hotels, but the destination’s collection of hotels are generally not yet up to scratch.
He added that for bigger events with 500 to 1,000 attendees, organisers “will need a good mix of large-, medium- and small-sized vehicles, and I’m not sure if Iloilo has enough inventory”, and if their buses were up to standard.
Besides the need to resolve these two logistical issues, Clemente said for Iloilo to rise up in the minds of international association executives considering future meeting destinations, it should be included in the destination development and marketing programmes of the Department of Tourism.
The good news is, progress is being made here, with Iloilo City being primed to be the next venue for MICECON, the Philippines’ premier conference for business events managed under the baton of the Tourism Promotions Board.
