Hotels, resorts bounce back as tourists flock to key destinations

April 10, 2023

0 2 minutes read

TOURISTS pose for photos at the port in Boracay, Aklan Province, April 3. Thousands of tourists flocked to the beach island for the Holy Week break. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

By Revin Mikhael D. Ochave, Reporter

TOURISM stakeholders are increasingly optimistic of recovery this year, as many hotels and resorts reported high occupancy during the Holy Week break.

Roberto Z. Zozobrado, Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) president, said an increase in tourist volume was observed in top destinations such as Boracay, Mactan in Cebu, Siargao, Bohol and Palawan.

“All the hotels are full, especially the hotels in the popular destinations. They’re full and they’re charging high because they know it is peak (season) and that’s the only time they can recover. We’re very happy with what’s happening,” he told BusinessWorld in a mobile phone interview.

Benito C. Bengzon, Jr., Philippine Hotel Owners Association, Inc. (PHOA) executive director, expressed optimism that domestic tourism will bounce back during the summer months.

He told BusinessWorld via Viber message that some of its member hotels in Metro Manila have already returned to pre-pandemic levels in terms of occupancy and average daily revenue.

“We at the PHOA, are optimistic that domestic tourists will travel in much larger numbers this summer season. Many city hotels have reported that revenue and occupancy in the last few months have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, resorts are likewise enjoying high occupancy especially with the long weekend,” Mr. Bengzon said.

For TCP, Mr. Zozobrado said they expect full recovery of domestic tourism later this year or by early next year. This is similar to the projection made by the Department of Tourism (DoT).

“We are very optimistic and very happy that tourism has rebounded so fast… The United Nations World Tourism Organization forecasts that recovery will be in 2025 but we don’t think so. We think it’s going to be earlier, especially here in the Philippines,” he said.

Mr. Zozobrado said international tourism is likely to return to pre-pandemic levels by this year or early next year.

John Paolo R. Rivera, Asian Institute of Management – Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism associate director, said in a Viber message the tourism sector is expected to have a “strong recovery” this year.

“I think people are not afraid of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) anymore as it has been managed already and herd immunity has set in. There will be a strong recovery of the tourism and hospitality sector this year, especially this summer, as things have started to normalize and the economy opens much further,” he said.

Mr. Rivera said domestic tourism has always been a key driver of growth.

He noted the dry season is a good time for local tourism businesses to generate more income.

“It is the time where our sun-sand-sea destinations are in demand, generating revenue opportunities for many tourism enterprises. It is an opportune time for everyone to maximize the benefits from Philippine tourism. It is also a good reminder that we need to make it sustainable through responsible tourism activities,” Mr. Rivera said.

PHOA’s Mr. Bengzon also urged tourism stakeholders to continue observing minimum public health standards amid the surge in tourist volume.

DoT figures showed that the Philippines had 2.65 million international visitor arrivals in 2022.

For this year, the DoT is targeting 4.8 million international visitors, still far from the 8.26 million international arrivals logged in 2019.

The Philippine tourism sector accounted for over 5% of the country’s gross domestic product in 2021, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.