Sports to draw repeat visitors
For Cebu to enjoy a continuous influx of repeat foreign visitors, it should hype its advantage as a sports tourism destination, said Sunrise Events Inc., the organizer of the Ironman race in the country.
Sports activities attract both new and repeat guests from around the country and the world, said Princess Gallura, general manager of Sunrise Events, which has organized the country’s premier triathlon since 2009.
The first race was held in Camarines Sur. But in 2012, due to the growing number of participants, the firm moved the race to a bigger location, Mactan Island, Cebu.
“With travel becoming more accessible, coupled with the rising awareness on health and wellness, now is the best time for sports, travel and sports tourism in Cebu,” said Gallura in a recent tourism summit. Sunrise Events will stage the 2017 Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines on Aug. 6 in Mactan, Cebu.
The firm cited the international airport, five-star hotels, road network, mix of urban and rural landscape, culture and heritage, cuisine, scalable facility for swimming, biking and running, and the hospitality of the Cebuanos as among the top reasons for staging the big-ticket race in Cebu for the past six years.
Ironman competitions in Cebu last year drew P650 million in revenues. “On the average, participants spend $3,000 in Cebu, including airfare, hotel accommodation, souvenirs, food and incidentals,” said Gallura.
The Ironman race registers over 2,000 participants. Some 6,000 rooms are needed for the three-day event. But Gallura said some participants arrive early for practice and for familiarization with the area and the route, which means Cebu gets to enjoy high tourism receipts even prior to the competition dates.
Some also stay after the competition to enjoy Cebu’s tourism attractions along with their families and friends who they bring along as supporters.
Staging sports events also helps boost new industries like coaching, sports medicine, bike fixing, photography and videography. Local suppliers also get to enjoy high sales as suppliers source all their requirements locally.