At least 31 percent of the total tourist arrivals for January to April this year are attributed to Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) activities, an official of the City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) said Wednesday.

In a radio interview, CTOO officer-in-charge Jennifer Romero said 661 MICE-related bookings were recorded during the first four months of 2023 which is equivalent to 105,297 MICE participants out of the 340,128 total tourist arrivals.

Romero said the city’s efforts to position Davao as a premier MICE location have started to reflect on the tourist influx this year.

“As we progress, we also (scout) for additional MICE venues that are bigger. If we have bigger venues, we will be able to cater to larger groups,” she said.

Aside from convention venues, Romero said they are also currently working on institutionalizing regulations and specifications for accommodation establishments in the city.

“This is because certain hotels, inns, hostels, and motels often do not meet the specifications in terms of size, services, and design. We also see a spike in MICE bookings during Kadayawan season because our MICE groups will take advantage of the time to join the festival at the same time,” she said.

Romero pointed out that regulations in the accommodation sector are needed to avoid confusion in terms of logistics.

“Kadayawan season is only a couple of months away, MICE bookings are expected to rise significantly,” she said. (PNA)