Following a successful Routes Asia event in Kunming which saw almost 800 delegates in attendance Yunnan Airport Group Co., Ltd. have officially handed over to Manila, Philippines the host destination for Routes Asia 2016.
Building on the success of this year’s event in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, the largest route development forum for the entire Asia-Pacific region will take place on March 6 - 8, 2016 in Manila hosted by the Philippine Department of Tourism and co-hosted by the Philippine Department of Transportation & Communications. A formal handover ceremony from this year's hosts, Yunnan Airport Group Co., Ltd will take place on March 16, 2015.
Speaking to Routesonline ahead of the official handover ceremony, Dir. Verna C. Buensuceso, Officer in Charge of Market Development Group, Philippine Department of Tourism said: “We will be proud to see all of you at Routes Asia 2016 in Manila and take part in our vision to become a premiere multi-gateway destination in Asia, providing world-class arrival and departure experience in its major and secondary international airports.”
The event promises to help the host deliver on its objectives to turn the Philippines into one of the top gateways in the region in the near future and hosting Routes Asia will also provide the Philippines with the opportunity to improve international air connectivity and access for business and inbound tourism as well as expand the frontiers of knowledge on aviation development, an essential driver and prerequisite of competitiveness.
As the capital of the Philippines, Manila serves as the seat of government and the centre of financial and economic activities for the entire country. Most of the Philippines' largest corporations, major banks and various multinational companies are based in the city that contributes to the country’s thriving economy. It is also home to the country’s premier gateway, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which is linked to over 50 international destinations by more than 30 airlines and has four terminals that accommodate more than 30 million passengers per annum.
The Philippines is currently modernising and expanding its premier gateway and secondary airports to sustain its international market growth and improve the arrival and departure experience. Increased investment in these airports will drive international tourists and passengers to visit the Philippines.
The upgrading of Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 1 is ongoing and will be completed in time for the hosting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in 2015 whilst the construction of an elevated highway linking Terminals 1, 2, and 3 to the Skyway and Manila Bay is expected to be completed by 2016. There is also planned expansion at the passenger terminal building of Mactan-Cebu International Airport which will be expanded to accommodate eight million passengers per year.
A multi-faceted destination, Manila is also the core of education, culture and the arts. It boasts several notable attractions including a UNESCO World Heritage Site and 45 other cultural heritage landmarks. It is a well-known shopping destination in the Asia-Pacific region with over 100 shopping malls that can be found in strategic locations in the city.
“We’re thrilled that Routes Asia will be taking place in Manila in 2016,” said Gerard Brown, Head of Future Hosting, Routes & Airport Cities for UBM EMEA: “This event is sure to be full of opportunities for our entire community and will allow the Philippines to increase new air services and visitor numbers. With superb connections to the whole of Asia, one of the fastest growing economies of Southeast Asia and both a modern and rapidly developing infrastructure, the Philippines is the ideal destination to hold Routes Asia in 2016.”
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