IT'S not news anymore that with the influx of tourists in Davao City, there is an immediate need for new registered accommodation facilities. This is especially because the city also brands itself as one of the newest meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibits (MICE) destination.
Early this week, the Palarong Pambansa 2019 athletic competition opened at the Davao City-University of the Philippines (UP) Sports Complex. The entire event expected more or less 15,000 guests, including the delegates and their families, to come flocking to Davao City. It follows that because of this nationwide event, most of the hotels and inns in the city are fully-booked for the rest of the week until probably the few days following the closing of games.
And as it is summer, there will also be local and foreign tourists expected to come and visit Davao City. But since most accommodation facilities are fully-booked due to Palaro, it would be best that the tourists schedule their trip a few weeks after Palaro to chance for a good, vacant room in the city.
But for a developing city, which has become more attractive to tourists and investors alike, isn't this a big problem that should be faced already?
In fairness to the local government, they continue to call on investors to come and invest in the city. Earlier this year, Davao City Tourism Operations Office head Generose Tecson asked existing condominium owners who put their spaces on lease to apply for a business permit to operate.
As it is already known that there are a number of condo unit owners in Davao City who lease out their units similar to AirBnB, Tecson said it would always be better if they are registered and would properly comply with the requirements of the city government.
She added this registration will help monitor the safety of the units for the security of both the unit owners and the renters as well. But the best part is when these condo units for lease are registered, the city government itself will be the ones to promote and put on their list of available accommodation facilities in the city.
Fairly, this is a win-win situation for both parties. With 2.4 million tourist arrivals in 2018 and an expected 2.8 million in 2019, it should not always be the city government doing their share in making sure there are enough accommodation facilities in the city.
After all, we are all Dabawenyos. Anything we can do to help will always count.