Fighting for recognition

Clark’s fun surroundings and host city status for APEC 2015 will up its appeal as a MICE destination but access must improve, writes Marianne Carandang

Clark, a freeport zone in Central Luzon, about 90km north of Manila, has set its sights on international business events, counting on the region’s cultural heritage within the Pampanga region, and its relatively short distance from the beach and adventure attractions of

Subic, which already enjoys visibility as a MICE destination on its own.

However, Ronnie Tiotuico, regional director for Central Luzon with the Department of Tourism, admitted that “Clark cannot be a stand-alone destination on its own”.

Clark’s positioning, Tiotuico noted, becomes stronger when viewed as a “single” destination in conjunction with nearby Subic which has a convention facility of its own, the 12,000m2 Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Centre (SBECC) and a plethora of outdoor sports activities and natural parks.

Besides hosting this year’s edition of the Philippine MICE Conference in June, an event that drew about 500 trade participants, including international buyers, Clark is also starting to work closely with associations. According to Tiotuico, the destination has won two upcoming conventions – the Mother Butler Guild National Convention from November 7 to 9, 2014 at the Hotel Stotsenberg, which aims for 1,500 delegates, and the 40th Kiwanis International Asia Pacific Convention, which is expected to welcome 1,300 delegates from March 5 to 7 next year at Fontana Convention Center.

In 2015, the city will host the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.

To publicise the array of MICE venues in Clark and its surrounding region, Tiotuico’s office launched the Central Luzon Convention Planners Guide in March. In Clark, properties that can support business events include Holiday Inn Clark, Lewis Grand Hotel, Grand Palazzo Royale and Widus Hotel & Casino.

Conversations between TTGmice and representatives at SMX Convention Specialists Corp (SMXCC) in 2012 and 2014 revealed that an SMX Convention Centre, or at least a smaller trade hall facility at the nearby SM Clark mall, was under serious consideration. In June, SMXCC vice president and general manager, Dexter Deyto, confirmed that a convention facility remained in the works.

Meanwhile, parent company SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation is going ahead with plans to open a 150-key Park Inn by Radisson hotel in 2016.

On the access front, the destination is supported by Clark International Airport which services airlines such as Jin Air, Asiana Airlines, Dragonair and Qatar Airways. Arrivals through this gateway grew 71 per cent from 2011 to 2012, to reach 1,315,757 passengers.

In August this year, the Aquino presidential administration revived a US$400 million, 80km railway proposal aiming to link Ninoy Aquino International Airport to Clark, a project which stalled in 2012. If this had gone ahead as planned two years ago, it would have boosted the destination immediately.

Doubts over the project’s status almost certainly had an effect on Clark’s tourism and MICE prospects in the short-run. In 2013 arrivals declined 8.8 per cent to 1,200,592, when carrier pullouts began in earnest, starting with Airphil Express (February 2013) and Philippines AirAsia (September 2013).

While AirAsia is resuming flights between Kuala Lumpur and Clark on October 17, it is a far cry from the ambitious operations initially promised by AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes.

Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific, which operates flights to Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau, ran a short-lived service to Shanghai in end-2013.

Emirates’ attempt to mount daily flights between Clark and Dubai – a launched October 1, 2013, – likewise ended in May this year because of “intense competition” and jet fuel excise taxes, the carrier stated.

Despite these setbacks, Clark is still viewed as an intermediate destination, particularly for incentive travellers visiting northern Luzon from Manila, said Anna dela Cruz, account officer of Annset Holidays, who has brought incentive groups of 70 to 80 pax to Clark on the way to Baguio and Sagada.

Mitch Ballesteros, chief marketing officer at Ex-Link Events, recommends convention activities of up to 400 pax in Clark.

“I can see an ASEAN business conference being held here, or Rotary International events, because of the proximity of the airport and the absence of traffic,” she said.

While Gilda Padua, who operates two travel companies and is president of the Greater Clark Visitors Bureau, is planning to promote nearby Angeles as a destination, so as to strengthen Clark’s tourism appeal, she admitted that it would be a tough run.

“(Clark has) small convention facilities but there are still some components missing in the area,” commented Padua. She is working with a small but growing base of inbound tour operators and is sourcing for guides and licensed tour buses from Manila.

On the upside, however, Padua said short-stay MICE visitors could take half a day to play golf in Clark, either before or after business meetings, or be brought to neighbouring Subic for a day of post-event leisure activities or overnight stays.

She is also optimistic that Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino’s 200-million peso investment into expanding the Fontana Convention Center will grow Clark’s current capacity from 500 to 1,000 pax, in time for some of the initial APEC 2015 events in January and February.

Clark’s airspace comes alive every year for the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. Next year’s edition will be held from February 12 to 15

Ideas

A day around Clark

Clark Museum

Start the day of sight-seeing with a tour of Clark’s historical landmarks.

First stop, Clark Museum where well-preserved military artifacts dating back to World War II are on display. Appreciate Clark’s past as a military base under Japanese occupation.

After that, drive past the wide open Clark Parade Grounds, where many old-fashioned post-war homes have been converted into restaurants and corporate offices, as well as the sprawling Air Force City grounds, which displays old fighter jets no longer in use.

As lunch hour beckons, make a stop at Camalig Restaurant in downtown Angeles and indulge in Pampanga’s rich specialties which include pork sisig, stuffed frog, deep fried crickets  and morcon.

Later, get onto the pristine highways of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and enjoy a 45-minute drive into the port town of Subic, landmarked by high trees. Keep an eye out – and perhaps a camera ready too – for bats and monkeys that trail along the roads.

Continue onwards into the Subic Bay Metropolitan Area and walk down the waterfront, which has a lighthouse and great views of a yacht marina.

Spend the rest of the afternoon at the Zoobic Safari or watch dolphins perform to music and jump through hoops at Ocean Adventure.

Need to know

Widus adds room and facilities

The 119-keys Widus Resort and Casino in Angeles, Clark has completed an initial phase of guestroom and meeting room expansion. Works included the addition of a second hotel tower with 114 rooms in November 2013.

The hotel’s lobby was also renovated, while a new 120-seat dining room/function area was added in the casino.

By the end of this year, the property will debut a new casino.

Better overland connections

The Greater Clark Visitors Bureau will soon launch a shuttle bus service connecting various business hotels in the Clark area to Metro Manila.

This will complement an existing Airport Lounge service in Trinoma Mall in Quezon City, which brings airport passengers to Clark. The Airport Lounge runs a thrice daily service from Trinoma Mall in Quezon City, and four services a day from Clark to Trinoma.

Escape from the city

Kamana Sanctuary Resort and Spa has 48 beachfront rooms and over-water cottages overlooking Subic’s deep water bay, making it an ideal destination for incentive trips. Its location in the Nabasan Beach/Ilanin Forest district allows guests to easily partake in jet-ski and wreck dive activities, as well as hikes through Subic’s virgin forests.

Other facilities at the hotel include a restaurant with a well-stocked cellar, a function room for more than 100 people and a spa.

Visit www.kamanasanctuary.com for more information.

Clark International Airport grows in size and capability

Clark International Airport in the Clark Freeport Zone recently completed a 417 million Philippine peso (US$9.6 million) expansion of its existing passenger terminal, which has expanded from 8,587m² to 18,573m².

The larger terminal now offers 34 check-in terminal counters and 24 immigration counters, and boasts increased baggage and passenger handling capacity. It can now tackle five million passengers annually, up from 2.5 million pre-expansion.

A new budget terminal is also underway, which will further expand airport capacity to 10 million per annum.

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