Crises failed to dampen Cebu tourism this year

The series of crises that slammed the Year of the Fire Monkey surprisingly turned out in favor for Cebu’s tourism industry in 2017.

"The year 2017 brought a lot of surprises. Most hotels recorded impressive revenue performance, despite the peace and order and security concerns that happened in the earlier part of the year," said Hotels, Resorts, and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) president Carlo B. Suarez.

Early in 2017, Cebu and the rest of the Visayas already experienced a series of unfavorable events starting off with the infiltration of some members Abu Sayyaf Group in Bohol, which resulted to a series of travel advisories from tourism markets, and trade partners like United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, New Zealand, and South among others.

While this particular ordeal was quickly resolved, the Southern Philippine market immediately faced another round of tourism threat, when Martial Law was declared in the whole of Mindanao in middle of this year.

Visayas in particular suffered the brunt of the Martial Law, which scared tourism players in the whole of Visayas. However, much to the industry players’ surprise, tourists still kept coming in amidst the advisories and everything remained ‘business as usual’ or even way better than expected.

BANNER YEAR

"The year 2017 is another banner year for the tourism sector," affirmed Cebu Association of Travel Operations Specialists (CATOS) Alice Queblatin.

Like Suarez, Queblatin also tagged 2017 as a year for surprises for the tourism sector. That, despite the threatening turn of events, the growth continued to follow its own course — stubbornly.

Regardless of travel advisories, Cebu continued to impress foreign travelers with towns of Moalboal, Oslob, San Remegio, Daanbantayan and Sta. Fe in Bantayan Island emerging as the top favorite destinations of foreign tourists visiting Cebu.

Department of Tourism (DOT-7) listed these destinations as frequented by foreigners, including expectedly the major cities like Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, as well as the town of Cordova in the island of Mactan.

Moalboal is known as the jump-off point for scuba diving enthusiasts. It hosts a number of water sports related shops, as well as good resort facilities.

Oslob, now known as whale shark sanctuary, has become a popular stop-over or destination favorite not only for foreign tourists but domestic travelers as well.

Bantayan Island in the northern tip of Cebu, wherein the town of Sta. Fe is located, has always been the all-time favorite vacation hang-out for foreigners. In fact, some of them have found their Filipina love interests and made the island as their second home.

The eco-tourism related destinations are always the top choice among tourists, foreign and local alike, added Queblatin.

Towns like Boljoon, Oslob, Samboan and Santander, otherwise known as BOSS cluster has gained popularity among local and foreign tourists, as ecotourism destinations are taking the center-stage in the travel itineraries.

Aside from these four popular towns in the southern stretch of Cebu, destinations with inviting beaches also continued to gain attention from tourists — local and foreigners alike.

Bantayan Island will always expect more tourists — local and foreign, primarily for its rustic unspoiled and rustic beach and island attractions.

In the Metropolitan Cebu, tourism in 2017 made a stride boosting the revenues of hotels and resorts, along with other industries like retail, restaurants, among others.

Aside from the active leisure market, Suarez said MICE groups brought the occupancy rates of the hospitality sector to an alltime-high with an average of 75 percent to 85 percent for city hotels.

In Mactan Island, players even recognized a looming accommodation shortage, which also drove investors to put more money in building more accommodation facilities for all types of markets.

Swiss resort management company Movenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu general manager Harold Rainfroy noted a surprising room demand in 2017. In fact, Movenpick has to turn down some bookings to accommodate other nationality guests.

"Mactan is flying high. It is a victim of its own success," said Rainfroy reporting that his property alone registered an average occupancy rate of 96 percent.

Rainfroy believes that Mactan needs to have branded resorts to further get the attention of travelers all over the world, specially the high-spender Australian and Kiwi travelers.

The French general manager is convinced that the Philippines in general is in a good standing to expect a surprising boost in tourism this year and beyond, as the indications are already being felt by the tourism service providers.

Department of Tourism (DOT-7) regional director Joshur Judd Lanete II confirmed the players' overall assessment of the tourism industry in Cebu and the rest of Central Visayas, saying the vibrancy was profound and even warned players to brace for a more exciting and historical tourism showdown in 2018.

As challenges in infrastructure, traffic, and other concerns are yet to be resolved in full-swing, players are stronger enough to cope with any growth pain, and determined only to focus on the bright promise that tourism will bring in the coming year.