HT LAND INC. is cashing in on Cebu’s tourism boom.
Mandani Bay project director Gilbert Ang said that besides erecting office, retail and residential towers, they are also eyeing a hotel component in the planned 20-hectare mixed-use development.
“The market study is ongoing. In fact, we are looking for investors,” said Ang, in an interview on Wednesday, Dec. 19.
According to Ang, some three hotel management firms have signified interest to manage the hotel.
“We are open for a long-term land lease (for the hotel),” said Ang.
Mandani Bay is a 10-year masterplan project of HT Land Inc., a joint venture between Hongkong Land and Cebu-based Taft Properties.
In August this year, Ang said they plan to make Tower 3 a mix of condo-hotels and residential units.
Ang said they will look for a reputable international hotel brand to manage the condo-hotel segment--a brand name that is at par with Mandani Bay’s position as a high-end township development.
The planned condo-hotel will have 250 units.
Meanwhile, spikes in tourist arrivals have been noted in Cebu in recent years. The province observed high foreign arrivals following the opening of the Terminal 2 of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
Cebu booked high arrivals from China, Korea, Japan, US and Europe.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Puyat said Cebu is already an established brand in the global tourism market. She lauded Cebu’s unique tourism offerings that saved the country’s foreign arrivals during the six-month Boracay closure in May.
She cited Cebu’s good food, warm hospitality, pristine beaches and other natural wonders, as some of the factors that will sustain its steady arrivals in the coming years.
Hotel, Resort, and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) has already expected the continued growth in tourism investments in Cebu. HRRAC president Carlo Suarez, in earlier interviews, said the accelerated developments in Cebu have encouraged investors to channel their investments here, particularly in tourism.