Celebrating Clark: A Hall of Famer in Philippine Sports Tourism
Clark Freeport Zone bagged another milestone with its elevation as the first-ever Hall of Famer of the Philippine Sports Tourism Awards (PSTA) in ceremonies held recently at the Nustar Casino and Resort in Cebu City.
Clark Freeport Zone
Now on its sixth edition, the award cited the Freeport’s selection as Sports Tourism Destination of the Year in 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, which highlights its excellence in hosting prestigious sporting events which boost tourism and allied industries.
Because of its world-class facilities and ideal location, some 100 events are held annually in Clark, drawing some 250,000 participants, athletes and visitors according to data from the CDC Tourism Promotions Division.
Situated in Pampanga, it has hosted major national and international sporting events, including the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019 held at the New Clark City.
According to Clark Development Corporation (CDC) president and chief executive officer Agnes VST Devanadera, the award recognizes the economic zone’s status as the country’s top sports tourism destination.
Sports tourism is defined by the United Nations as activities promoting travel experience as observer or participant in a sporting event. The PSTA is organized by the Philippine Sports Turismo Alliance and the Cebu-based Selrahco Management and Consultancy Services to recognize persons, entities and destinations which have contributed significantly to this vital subsector of the tourism industry.
PSTA founder and Selrahco president Charles Lim said the government and the private sector must enhance their collaborative efforts to address the infrastructure gaps which hinder the country from hosting major global sports events.
He added the SM Arena at the South Road Properties in Cebu, once completed, will boost the province’s sports tourism facilities.
The biennial awards also feted winners in various categories, namely Tour de Cebu for Adventure Event, William “Butch” Ramirez as the Sports Tourism Personality, Robinsons Malls as Mall Sports Venue, Milo Marathon as Domestic Event, Puerto Princesa City as Government Organizer, and Subic Bay Freeport Zone as Destination of the Year.
Named Personalities of the Year were former Philippine Sports Commissioner William “Butch” Ramirez and Alaska Milk Corp. chairman Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, representing the government and private sectors, respectively.
Cebu Pacific snatched the Airline of the Year anew because of its corporate support to events and athletes competing overseas, while previous awardee Dumaguete City was accorded the Emerging Destination title because of its push to be a sporting hub in the country.
Rounding up the winning circle are The Bellevue Resort in Bohol as Hotel of the Year, City of Manila as Destination Marketing for its Rock n’ Roll Running Series, FIBA Congress 2023 as MICE Event, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas as Sports Association, Go for Gold as Charity Event, and the SM Mall of Asia Arena as Venue of the Year.
In photo are the 6th PSTA winners with VIP guests Tourism Promotions Board chief operating officer Marga Nograles, Philippine Hotel Owners Association (PHOA) executive director Benito Bengzon Jr., and PSTA director Toots Jimenez.
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