City calls for registration of self-styled accommodations
SELF-STYLED accommodations are urged by the City Government of Davao to be registered so the city can help them monitor and be promoted to the tourists.
As on this coming Kadayawan Festival 2018 the City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) is targeting to exceed 200,000 tourist arrivals, the issue on the accommodation facilities available in the city starts to resurface.
During the PPP session yesterday, July 10, CTOO head Generose Tecson said with the hotel occupancy reports of the hotels and inns in the city, they can actually accommodate about 250,000 tourists. Despite this and as preparation for the arrivals this coming Kadayawan Festival, Tecson continues to urge individuals who rent out their rooms, houses, and condominium units to get business permits and tourism licenses.
“Davao City is very big on security. We need to know who are here in Davao City. We need to know who they are. It’s also for us to be able to promote them so that we’ll know the exact number of self-styled accommodations that we have. So for events like Kadayawan Festival and there will be shortage of hotel rooms, we can market and promote them to the tourists,” said Tecson.
Earlier, Tecson also said that they are considering the possibility of establishing home-stay accommodation facilities in the city.
“We have guidelines in the tourism code about home-stay. They should have their own rooms and other basic amenities that should be there. But we will check [the home-stay aspect]. I think it’s a very big industry,” she said adding that once this will be fully implemented by the city, they are going to be very careful with the implementation to avoid problems with longerterm residents living beside and near the rented spaces.
It can be recalled that Committee Chair on Tourism and Beautification Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre proposed a separate ordinance for owners of condominium units and houses registered to AirBnB and other self-styled home accommodations to pay proper taxes, secure business permits, and subit to the city’s regulatory laws. Aside from this, it was also a part of the amendment on the Tourism Code of the city.
“I also presented to this tourism council for adaption. We are just asking these operators of AirBnB and other homesharing apps to please visit the CTOO so we can
assist them, so we can account, so we know what should be done about it. We want them to have their own associations so they are well-represented in the tourism council. With this, we can help them promote and improve their operations as well,” said Alejandre who was also present during the PPP press conference.