SARAWAK is banking on a new international standard hotel and ties with Brunei to promote northern Sarawak, particularly Miri City, as a MICE destination for the Asia-Pacific.

Leveraging Miri’s proximity to Brunei, Sarawak’s tourism minister Abang Johari Openg said the state will collaborate with Royal Brunei Airlines to promote packages to Northern Sarawak, using Bandar Seri Begawan as the main gateway.

He added: “We hope to capitalise on Royal Brunei Airlines’ network in the Asia-Pacific region to attract more leisure and MICE tourists to Miri.”

Miri is a 2.5-hour drive from Brunei and there are currently no direct air connections between Miri and Brunei’s capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.

To attract more foreign airlines to fly to Miri Airport, Malaysia Airports Holdings is throwing in free landing and parking for the first six months. Abang Johari said: “We hope this will entice charter services and when volume picks up, it will evolve into scheduled services.”

He said Miri city can accommodate small- to medium-size MICE groups as there are currently 2,400 rooms, a number that will be boosted by 328 when Pullman Miri Waterfront opens in 4Q2015.

MICE facilities at Pullman Miri Waterfront will include a ballroom with seating capacity for 1,000 delegates and six state-of-the-art function rooms. The executive lounge on the 24th floor will offer panoramic views of Miri City and the South China Sea.

Gerard Guillouet, COO of Accor Malaysia-Indonesia-Singapore said he foresees the business mix will be a “good mix of business, leisure and pure MICE”.

He predicts that MICE business will predominently be from the domestic market, and from Brunei and Singapore. Miri will also be a good post-event tour option for meetings and incentives held in state capital Kuching.

Currently, the only other international hotel in Miri is Miri Marriott Resort & Spa.

DRIVEN by a recovering economic climate and stronger desire to venture into new destinations, US meeting and conference planners are showing a rising interest in Asia, according to feedback from buyers and exhibitors at The Americas Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition in Orlando.

Dirk Ebener, CEO of Marietta-based Global CIF, is keen to explore Asia as a conference and tradeshow destination for his clients that span across 50 industries, ranging from consumer goods to automotive to woodwork.

“Europe and Asia are our top two considerations. Americans are more familiar with Europe whereas Asia is often not the first choice, but it’s my responsibility to change that,” said Ebener, adding that he is interested in South Korea, China, Thailand and Indonesia in particular.

Similarly, Asian destinations are also reporting emerging interest from the US, although a majority are enquiries for events that will take place in the next two to three years.

“Our enquiries for 2016/2017 have picked up by around 10 per cent from the MICE as well as leisure market from the US,” said Mohit Chopra, director – MICE & special events, Travel Pals (India). “These companies are mainly from the medical, transportation and economic development (governmental) industries, primarily interested in Delhi and Rajasthan.”

“Over the past two years, we have seen a 20 per cent increase in enquiries from the US, mainly for the incentive travel segment,” said Wang Haichen, deputy director of DMC department at China Star, which is expecting a 120-pax group from US Siemens to Shanghai later this year.

“Political figures from the US have also drummed up meeting interest in China,” he added, citing former US president Richard Nixon’s grandson’s visit to China in 2013 as examples of high-profile events that raise the destination’s presence among American meeting planners in recent years.

Wang is also positive United Airlines’ thrice-weekly San Francisco-Chengdu service launched earlier this month will bring more inbound travel to western China and surrounding areas like Tibet.

Likewise, Alberto V Santos Jr, OIC – international operations, Rajah Travel Corporation, commented that the maturity of the US market positions it to explore “newer” destinations like the Philippines.

Karem E Miranda, senior project officer, MICE and business development unit at the Philippines’ Tourism Promotion Board (TPB), agreed: “Americans have been to other places in Asia and they are just starting to know the Philippines. TPB started participating in MICE shows in the US three years ago. A lot of serious enquiries are for two to three years down the road.”

THE city of Bacolod in Western Visayas will welcome a fourth SMX convention centre by 4Q2014, bringing SMX Convention Specialist Corp’s total inventory of meeting space to 41,480m2, the largest offered by a Philippine supplier.

Dexter Deyto, vice president and general manager for SMX Convention Specialist Corp, told TTGmice e-Weekly that SMX Bacolod was looking at soft opening in the first week of October.

“It was a choice of either opening in Bacolod or Iloilo, but since Iloilo already has a convention centre in the works, it might be too crowded,” Deyto remarked.

“Bacolod needs one (too) and we have a lot of local support from the mayor’s office, the city council…they’re in fact helping us with the promotions already,” he added.

SMX Bacolod will have a gross floor area of 8,218m2, contained within the new 133,894m2 expansion wing of SM Bacolod.

According to design plans, the pre-function lobby will have 1,726m2 of available space, while function room areas cover 3,544m2. Five meeting rooms are available, ranging from 74-207m2. Pricing will be on a par with SMX Davao.

The facility has initial bookings for local regional events and will be marketed for social functions, business events and school activities.

Provisions for a yet-unnamed brand hotel in the new wing have also been made. “There’s always a hotel co-location…for now, the plan is to stick with the Park Inn by Radisson brand,” Deyto said.

A new website for SMX’s four convention facilities will also be launched in 3Q2014.