Disrupting Cebu's MICE

We know too well that export (both BPOs and goods) and tourism are the economic drivers of Cebu.

- Fidel O. Abalos

Talking about tourism, this space was devoted several times on the fact that year after year, Cebu holds the country's biggest festival, the Sinulog. World renowned, its popularity grows year after year. Consequently, as it happens, hotel occupancy shoots up. That's how Sinulog makes both religious and festival tourism becomes a major draw in the Province of Cebu. This tourist-drawing week-long Sinulog revelries is just as we say it, good for a week. That such is the reality of the Sinulog festivities as far as our tourism initiatives are concern.

That is why this space has been egging our tourism stakeholders to do more. Using the Sinulog (which is usually, personal tourism) as the catalyst, we can opt for group tourism. Group tourism is what the meetings industry players generally call MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) and as MEEC (Meetings, Expositions, Events and Conventions) in the United States of America.

Though this space already featured this topic several weeks ago, recent events call for another iteration. For better understanding, in MICE or MEEC, groups come in huge numbers for purposes of attending conferences, conventions, expositions or exhibits whether religious, economic, professional, environmental, medical or scientific in nature.