Dusit Thani Mactan eyes Japanese tourist surge

CEBU CITY — Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu Hotel, a luxury resort owned by Robinsons Hotels and Resorts, is optimistic about the resurgence of the Japanese market as a top source of tourists.

“We always know that Korea is our top market here in Cebu because it has the most number of direct flights coming from different parts of Korea. But as for Japan, before it used to be the second top market, pre-pandemic time,” Flordelis Ymbong, director of sales — leisure at Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu, told BusinessWorld on Oct. 26.

The Japanese market is now replaced with foreign visitors from Taiwan and Singapore.

Starting Oct. 28, a new flight from Japan will begin, with additional flights in December for the peak season, she said.

Philippine Airlines is set to launch its Cebu-Osaka flights on Dec. 22 with direct flights from Mactan to the Kansai region that will ramp up the tourism industry and local business in Cebu and the Visayas region.

“We had the Department of Tourism (DoT), Tourism Promotions Board B2B mega fam tour from Japan agents last Oct. 25. We had a B2B networking at NUSTAR,” Ms. Ymbong said. The networking event was attended by 76 travel agents from Japan, as well as the DoT in the Philippines and in Japan, particularly in Osaka.

Ms. Ymbong said the occupancy rate for the Dusit Mactan is slowly picking up but still not the same as the pre-pandemic time.

She said the luxury resort, located in the first five-star beachfront resort, is currently at a 75% occupancy rate while aiming to reach 80% in January next year.

“We want to diversify our market because it happened already during the pandemic. We are only relying on one particular market which is the Korean,” Ms. Ymbong said.

Dusit Thani is now looking to tap its existing Europe, India, Dubai, and Canada markets.

The hotel has 271 guest rooms and suites and a facility for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions that can take a maximum of up to 900 guests.

Dining options include Thai restaurant Benjarong, Tradewinds Café, The View lobby lounge, Sunset Bar — a sports bar, and The Deli.

Situated on the Punta Engaño Peninsula, the Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu is accessible from Mactan-Cebu International Airport, 11 kilometers by land and sea transport. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante