THE Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB) has slashed rates by 50 percent until the end of the month.

The move is part of recovery measures done by the Baguio Tourism Council (BTC) and the Baguio Conventions and Visitors Bureau (BCVB) to revive the tourism industry after a succession of devastating typhoons.

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Anthony de Leon, chair for the three groups, is bullish on efforts to reclaim lost ground on tourism arrivals after experiencing a zero occupancy level after Typhoon Pepeng (international codename: Parma).

Hotels have since adopted a 30 percent to 50 percent discount on rooms with complimentary breakfast packages. The slashed rates started on October 30 and will continue until the end of the month.

Some hotels have offered 40 percent discount on rooms plus two nights full rate to get another night for free.

The BCVB secretariat has reported a 70 percent increase in occupancy levels this week, owing to the discounted packages and tourists trooping back to the city.

The citywide implementation of discounts is part of the Tourism Recovery Plan in a bid to regain revenues and the image of Baguio as the mountain haven of the country.

Groups have continued to visit the city because of the chilly weather which is one of the come-ons for the mountain resort.

The state weather bureau has forecast the continuous chilly mornings brought about by the Siberian winds which is known to bring down temperatures to as low as nine degrees Celsius.

Included in the recovery plan is a price watch on all “tourism basic commodities.”

“This ensures that any or all promotional packages undertaken during the period are undertaken,” de Leon said. (Ma. Elena Catajan)