Okada Manila Will Leverage ‘Okada Manila Go’ Campaign To Attract Asian Tourists

Summary:

• Okada Manila will boost its marketing activities to bring more foreign customers to the property
• The ongoing “Okada Manila Go” campaign in the Philippines will be expanded to include overseas customers
• The integrated resort will also expand its online games offering for local players

Okada Manila will ramp up its marketing activities to attract more foreign tourists, according to its parent company Universal Entertainment Corp. The Japanese gaming conglomerate unveiled plans to grow the integrated resort’s international customer base in a filing on August 9 where it also stated that it would enhance its online gaming offering for local customers.

Okada Manila Targeting Foreign Patrons

Universal Entertainment said foreign visitor numbers at Okada Manila will continue to pick up this year as business returns to normal following the pandemic. The company is looking to speed up recovery by launching new marketing initiatives aimed at bringing more overseas customers to the Manila property.

At the moment, the casino resort is running the “Okada Manila Go” marketing campaign for its gaming members in the Philippines. The promotion gives away travel packages to Manila, including free hotel accommodation, with the prizes awarded via a weekly draw.

The campaign, which aims to promote awareness of the Okada Manila brand in the Philippines and abroad, will be expanded soon to cover gaming members in other countries, Universal Entertainment said. The company will also boost its marketing activities in multiple Asian locations.

Okada Manila’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the second quarter of 2023 stood at just above PHP11.29 billion (US$200.3 million), down 2.4% from the previous quarter. But that figure represents a 36.1% year-on-year increase.

The integrated resort’s earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) for the April-June period also dropped 7.8% to PHP3.07 billion, though that was still up 39.9% from Q2 of 2022.

Online Games to be Expanded as Demand Grows

Okada Manila will also focus on increasing the scale of online games available for customers in the Philippines. The property is among those authorized to offer online gaming to local players under the Philippines Inland Gaming Operator (PIGO) licensing framework, a domestic version of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) system which grants permits for services aimed at players based overseas.

Okada Manila has been running online games for domestic players since April 2022.

Universal Entertainment recognizes the growing demand for online gaming not only in Luzon where Okada Manila is based, but also in other areas of the Philippines. Expanding its online games portfolio will attract a broader range of local visitors, the parent company added.