2,000 Meetings at 2019 Route Dev’t event
For the second time in the Philippines, airlines, airports and tourism authorities in the Asia Pacific are coming together for Routes Asia to explore the opportunities and challenges in the aviation industry. Routes Asia is the only route development event dedicated to the Asia Pacific region. Organized by UBM EMEA based in London, United Kingdom, this strategy summit gathers senior decision makers from the region’s air service development community. Routes Asia 2019 is jointly hosted by the Philippines Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA). Welcoming the over 1,200 local and foreign delegates on the first day, March 10, was Philippine Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat. The Philippine Department of Tourism looks forward to working with strategic partners in increasing fight frequency and seat capacity from source markets to key airports in the Philippines. Delivering the keynote speech was DOTr Assistant Secretary Mark Steven Pastor. He briefed the guests on how the country’s domestic aviation market has grown significantly in recent years. Andrew Acquaah-Harrison, chief executive advisor of GMRMegawide Cebu Airport Corp., the private operator of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, talked about the plans and expansion of the MactanCebu International Airport. Conrad Clifford, regional vice president for Asia Pacific of IATA, delivered the State of the Industry in Asia Pacific during the opening of the summit. Hear directly from Philippine Airlines’ senior vice president for special projects Ismael Augusto Gozon, and Cebu Pacific Air’s chief operating officer Michael Ivan Shau the growing future strategies of their respective airlines. Both airlines have remained aggressive in connecting the Philippines to both short- and long-haul destinations around the globe. Top-notch industry experts will also provide valuable insights into key air service development issues currently affecting the route development community on the second day of the conference. A panel discussion will take delegates to the future of Asia’s aviation industry in the midst of evolving technology, fuel prices and new airline players. A discussion on concerns and issues about the long-haul, low-cost sectors and route development support and connectivity will also be highlighted the whole day. Likewise, a conversation about sustainable tourism and the route development in China will be given attention. Besides the jampacked conference, 1,200 delegates will take part in over 2,000 face-to-face meetings to discuss new and existing air services. Organizers have also mounted networking activities to ensure that the delegates will be able to connect or reconnect and build business with their counterparts in the industry.