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Tuesday, September 30, 2003
Tourism improving: execs
By Cherry T. Lim
TOURISM is improving in Cebu with the Iraq war and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) of earlier this year all but forgotten and industry players capitalizing on the upswing to lay the groundwork for even more business.
Foreign airlines are mounting flights to Cebu, while government officials are courting more foreign tourism.
Upscale hotels and resorts reported brisk business despite complaints by some in the travel industry that high hotel rates were discouraging tourism.
“Tourism is up,” said Karl Hudson, general manager of Cebu City Marriott Hotel.
He said occupancy at the Marriott was up 20 percent from the same time last year because “business confidence is coming back.”
He cited the presence of business travelers in the furniture and jewelry industries, as well as pharmaceutical companies “doing promotions.”
According to him, about 40 percent of the hotel’s clients are overseas travelers.
Marriott is now experiencing 80 percent occupancy.
At Plantation Bay Resort and Spa, Sunshine Gregorio, public relations associate, reported approaching similar occupancy levels, saying Japanese and Koreans made up the bulk of patrons.
On weekends, the resort is “fully booked” because the locals also go there.
At Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort, Neil Rumbaoa, communications manager, yesterday said the resort is “fully booked starting tonight all the way to Oct. 2.”
“It’s not only us,” he told Sun.Star. “The city hotels are also booked.”
He attributed this to the conferences that traditionally take place in the last quarter of the year. Eli Lilly and Bayer are holding their conferences in Shangri-La.
He said some of the conferences that had been postponed due to Sars and the Iraq war were also now boosting the occupancy numbers.
Business has been good since the first week of September, however, also due to the Korean holidays.
In addition, prospects look even better moving forward since October-November is considered the “honeymoon period” for Koreans, and more Koreans are now spending their honeymoon in Cebu.
“We are seeing a surge in arrivals from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore,” Rumbaoa added.
High rates
All these come despite complaints by some travel agents that the Philippines charges higher rates than other Asian destinations, like Thailand or Indonesia.
Rumbaoa said Philippine hotel rates are indeed higher because “we peg it (rates) always to the (US) dollar.”
Due to “rate integrity,” especially by international hotel chains, “we cannot just lower the rate,” he added.
Instead, the hotels just give the patrons “extra value for the rate they’re getting.”
Business is looking better also because more foreign airlines will soon fly to Cebu.
The Marriott’s Hudson said flights from Qatar to Cebu are expected to begin in December, as well as flights by Continental Airlines from Guam.
He added that Korean Air and Asiana Air were also looking at Pusan-Cebu flights.
On the government front, Department of Tourism 7 Regional Director Patria Aurora Roa is currently on a selling mission to Japan with Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon, said a DOT 7 official.
Prior to her departure, Roa told Sun.Star the Philippines will hold talks with Bahrain on Oct. 14-15 and discuss having direct flights from Cebu to Bahrain.
(September 30, 2003 issue)
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