FIBA World Cup hosting revitalizes Phl tourism industry

Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco on Monday said the country’s hosting of the FIBA World Cup 2023 from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 has brought favorable improvements to the tourism industry.

Frasco noted an uptick in the hotel occupancy rates as teams, basketball fans, families and members of various delegations enjoyed the country’s hospitality and accommodation, and discovered famous local destinations throughout the tournament.

“FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 has brought to the fore our excellent hospitality and the distinct Filipino virtues of familial welcome and warmth for our guests,” she said.

Based on the DOT-National Capital Region (DOT-NCR) office report, the nine FIBA official hotels in Metro Manila saw a higher average hotel occupancy from Aug. 25 to Sept. 12.

“For instance, Conrad Manila in Pasay reported a 100 percent average hotel occupancy from Aug. 25 to Sept. 12, Hotel101-Manila and Microtel MOA with 92 percent, Hilton Manila with 91.8 percent, and TRYP MOA with 91 percent. Meanwhile, Grand Hyatt Manila in Taguig reported a 96 percent hotel occupancy rate during the period,” she said.

In a recent report, the DOT’s Statistics, Economic Analysis and Information Management Division (SEAIMD) likewise observed an increase in the volume of visitor arrivals from countries that saw action during FIBA World Cup.

Out of the 20 countries, almost half registered a growth rate of more than 100 percent in terms of visitor arrivals to the Philippines from July 1 to Sept. 12 compared to the same period in 2022.

Among these countries are the Dominican Republic with 700 percent increase; Latvia, 600 percent; China, 595.85 percent; Lithuania, 444.58 percent; and Serbia, 429.07 percent.

Heeding President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s call for a whole-of-government approach to ensure the successful hosting of the FIBA World Cup, the DOT ensured that participating ballclubs and visiting fans were greeted with distinct Filipino hospitality.

The DOT conducted training sessions on the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) for almost 500 FIBA World Cup 2023 volunteers.

It also partnered with the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority to enhance key areas, including airports, competition venues, as well as non-competition venues including official hotels, practice gyms and fan zones.

To encourage visitors to explore the country in between FIBA matches, the DOT rallied national tourism associations including the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), the Hotel Sales and Marketing Professionals (HSMA), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), and the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) in forming a tourism consortium that offered FIBA-exclusive tour packages to some of the country’s popular tourist spots. PNA