HOMEGROWN developer Grand Land Inc. will be expanding its hospitality portfolio as it announced plans to launch a resort development in the southern part of Cebu this year, in partnership with an international resort operator.
Ryan Bernard Go, Grand Land president, said the company is currently in negotiations with three hospitality companies from Asia whose operations span internationally.
“We’re looking for branded ones and international groups so when people come to Cebu, they can really say that it’s a global destination,” Go told reporters.
The developer acknowledged the inadequacy of global resort brands in the southern part of the province, even if this has been gaining popularity among local and international visitors. This runs contrary to how the northern part has flourished and attracted foreign and local visitors, partly because of a good mix of international resort players.
The next big thing
With Grand Land to head the resort development in a property by the beach and an international operator to manage it, Go believes this will help boost tourism in the south. He did not to disclose the resort location yet, as they are awaiting the project’s launch within this quarter.
“The next big industry is tourism,” Go said, citing real estate’s precedence. Grand Land has 10 ongoing residential projects and has promised to launch more horizontal and vertical residential developments in the coming years.
The developer is focused on the turning over of condominium and housing units to homeowners. Go also noted the growing number of expats owning condominium units from Grand Land.
“This year, we have accommodated a handful of foreign buyers. Aside from retirees, there are those who want to do business here,” Go said, saying some of the most popular business ventures in Cebu include English schools and restaurants. Go takes this as a positive indicator of business confidence among foreign investors.
Grand Land is the developer of Grand Residences, City Homes, and Amani in Cebu. It is also the developer of the Grand Tower building in the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City, where Dusit Thani will run the hotel operations.
Bullish
Go expressed confidence in Cebu’s real estate and hospitality sectors this year and he expects they will perform even better than last year. Ongoing infrastructure projects and improvements, he said, will spur business interest and activities in the Queen City of the South.
Ongoing infrastructure developments in Cebu include the expansion and rehabilitation of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
In the next years, Go said Grand Land will add more international brands in its hospitality portfolio. “We hope to build more hotels in Cebu,” the company president said.
Grand Land is the property development arm of the Gaisano Grand Group of Companies, which is also behind the Gaisano Grand Malls.