Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Hotel occupancy increased by 6%
HOTELS in Davao City posted a six percent increase in occupancy, an indicator that the industry is making good this year.
Marie Jovie P. Ay-ad, president of Hotel Sales and Marketing Association of Davao and member of the organizing committee of the Mindanao Travel and Tour Expo (MTEE), noted that the growth is due to the increase in arrivals of foreign visitors in the city.
Ay-ad, who represents Grand Regal Hotel, said that this year, they exceeded their sales target from P8.3 million monthly to P12 million in actual sales.
She said this is true to all other big hotels in the city.
She said the hotels nowadays no longer do hard selling and the "cockroach competition" has been lessen.
"Before the hotels dive to the lowest rate just to get the client," she said. "I think this is also the result of the holding of the Asean Tourism Forum here where Davao was highly promoted as a must visit destination where there are five big hotels and another big three resorts."
She said the holding of the MTTE in the city will again boost the tourism industry.
Marissa Te Eng Fo, organizer of MTTE, who is also from the travel and tour promotion said there will be 45 entities joining the expo that will be held at SM City Davao on August 11 to 13.
She said MTTE is an event that will showcase the Davao and Mindanao inbound destinations where new tour packages are offered.
It will also generate awareness among probable markets of the services being offered by travel agencies of inbound and outbound travel packages.
Among the key players of the MTTE are Davao Travel Agencies Association, Davao Tour Operators, Non-Iata Travel Agencies, Department of Tourism and the Philippine Tour Operators Association.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (July 5, 2006 issue)
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