Sports tourism seen as key growth driver

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio yesterday reiterated the importance of sports tourism as the country aims to position itself as a major global sporting destination.

“The biggest tourism events are sports events,” said Gregorio as the Philippines is in the thick of the country’s hosting the 32-nation FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City and Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The event drew the top volleyball nations led by world No. 1 Poland followed by Italy, Brazil, France and the United States. It comes two years after the Philippines successfully co-hosted the FIBA World Cup with Indonesia and Japan.

In November, the Philippines will also play host to the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships and the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup.

Alas Pilipinas, the national team, is giving its all against the sport’s best. The Nationals, ranked 88th in the world, bowed to Tunisia on opening day then pulled off a magical four-set win against Egypt, ranked No. 21, last Tuesday.

Alas Pilipinas, the underdog, did the unthinkable by beating the Egyptians before a roaring home crowd and kept its hopes alive of advancing to the next round.

Gregorio said it was a proud moment for Philippine volleyball, especially the men’s team, and it came amid criticism regarding the cost of hosting the 32-nation event.

“This win is for those who believed that we can. It’s a gift for those who came, those who cheered from their homes and those who continue to support our national team and Philippine sports,” Gregorio said.

The PSC chief said these are rare opportunities for the country to showcase its readiness and ability to host world-class sporting events.

Volleyball alone has a global fan base of 631 million spread across 80 different markets, a testament to the sport’s popularity that extends around the globe.

“The benefits of hosting world-class sporting events are far greater than the cost,” said Gregorio, citing the economic impact and media value generated by such events before an international audience.

“It is an economic investment, not an entertainment showcase only for local markets. The world is watching this, not just those in the stands.”

As PSC chairman, Gregorio is leaving no stone unturned, pushing for the advancement of a tourism inter-agency council, in strong collaboration with the Department of Tourism under Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.

It aims to boost and develop sports tourism in the country by strengthening the two agencies’ hosting efforts and the alignment of their resources and strategies in line with President Marcos’ overall program.

The funds to be utilized in the program will be drawn exclusively from the budget allocated for sports, ensuring that no other budget lines outside of sports will be affected.