By HENRY EMPEÑO

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — With cruise ship visits, national conferences, sports competitions, and festivals among the 18 major events slated here this year, the tourism outlook in the Subic Bay Freeport is expected to be nothing short of spectacular.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said that the scheduled arrival of two of the biggest cruise ships in the world, the “Ovation of the Seas” and “Voyager of the Seas” on June 3 and August 25, respectively, would headline the tourism events that the SBMA has calendared so far for this year.

“Subic tourism industry is picking up again, just like in the early years of the Freeport when almost every tourist is looking towards visiting Subic. Now it is happening again,” Eisma said.

She added that aside from the expected blockbuster events, the SBMA, through its Tourism Department, would also be managing regular tourism projects.

With the various events on schedule, Eisma said the SBMA is expecting at least 43,000 additional local and foreign tourists, with some 10,000 foreign tourists arriving on board the cruise ships.

According to the SBMA Tourism Department, close to 8.5 million visitors arrived in Subic last year, an increase of close to 7 percent over the 7.8 million record in 2016. On the other hand, more than 1.5 million tourists, or those who stayed at least one night in the Freeport, were recorded last year, a slight increase of 4.3 percent over the 2016 figure.

This year, Eisma said, the various special events are expected to further increase Subic’s tourism numbers.

She named the expected top-grossers as: the Summer Siren Festival 2018 Year 2, which will be held here on May 11 to 13, with about 6,000 participants; 4AsP’s Ad Summit Pilipinas 2018 on March 7-10, with around 5,000 delegates; the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals’ 38^th National Anniversary Celebration and General Assembly on April 27-28, with 6,000 delegates; and Gold Gym’s Muscle Contest Philippines on Sept. 8, with about 5,000 contestants and delegates.

Subic will also host the Couples for Christ’s World Youth Congress on April 20-22, with some 3,500 persons expected to attend the religious conference.

According to Jem Camba, head of the SBMA Tourism Department, sports activities would comprise most of the events scheduled here this year. The first ones to be held were the PRUride PH 2018 by the National Bicycle Organization, PhilCycling and PRU Life UK on Jan. 11-14; and the Triathlon Association of the Philippines’ National Age Group Triathlon on Jan. 28.

Meanwhile, Run Bike Swim Incorporated is set to hold the Tri United 1 Standard Distance Triathlon on Feb. 25, with about 1,000 participants; followed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Beach Volleyball Championships on February 27 to March 2.

Subic will also see spectacular action with the Subic-Boracay Race organized by the Saturday Afternoon Gentlemen Sailing Club this February, as well as the Boracay Cup Regatta and Commodore’s Cup Regatta in March and April, with about 250 sailors participating in each event.

On April 21-22, the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TAP) will stage the NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon with about 1,000 participants. This will be followed by Sunrise Events, Inc.’s Century Tuna Ironman Triathlon Full Distance Ironman 70.3, Superbods Run, and Ironkids on June 1-3, with about 2,000 participants; and TAP’s Youth Olympic Games Qualifying Race for Asia/ Southeast Asian Triathlon Association Championships on June 17, with 230 contestants.

In July, Run Bike Swim Incorporated will stage Tri United 2, with about 1,000 participants; Run Bike Swim’s Trek 100 Challenge on Oct. 21, with 1,000 participants; Sunrise Events’ T150 Triathlon, Ironkids and Fun Run on Nov. 3-4, with 1,500 participants; Xtribe, Inc.’s Subic International Marathon, with 1,500 expected contestants; and the National Duathlon Championship, on Nov.  11, with 300 participants.