MANILA, Philippines ? With his stature in the international sports arena, Saranggani Representative and boxing champion Manny Pacquiao could be the best endorser of the country?s tourism, a leader of the House of Representatives said on Wednesday.
Minority Leader and Albay Representative Edcel Lagman proposed that Pacquiao hold his next fight in the country, saying it will be ?a tremendous boost to Philippine tourism.?
Lagman noted that the ticket sales during Pacquiao?s fight with Mexican Antonio Margarito that filled the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas and the pay-per-view sales shows the drawing power of the boxing champion.
?He has a loyal foreign following who would not hesitate to come to Manila to see him fight and balikbayans may also take the opportunity to come home. Moreover, local tourism will also improve because Pacman fans outside Metro Manila will not let this once-in-a-lifetime chance of seeing Manny fight live pass,? he said.
Holding Pacquiao?s next match here will be similar to Singapore?s holding the Formula 1 in the city-state, according to Lagman. Because of this, he said foreign tourists flock to Singapore for the night race.
?Should Manny decide to fight here, the Department of Tourism can make it the template for sports-adventure tourism in the country. Adventure races, triathlons, marathons and other sporting events can be scheduled around the time of the fight. It is important to get tourists to stay in the Philippines beyond the fight, have a pleasant and memorable time and spend their dollars here,? he said.
Aside from the boxing match, Lagman said the country can offer side attractions such as allied sports events and adventure tour package, and facilities to support tourism such as hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and entertainment centers.
?The only other thing we have to ensure for this to be a foolproof formula is to guarantee the safety of our tourists,? he added.
