HRRAC sees Cebu tourism recovery by next year

CEBU CITY -- The Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) projected that Cebu tourism industry to start picking up by the end of the first quarter of 2021 as hotels and resorts have resumed operations since quarantine restrictions eased, but occupancy rates have remained low compared to pre-COVID levels, HRRAC president Carlo Suarez said in a virtual the Mugstoria Ta, an online conversation, Nov. 11 hosted by the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV)

Suarez said that the confidence of HRRAC members in Cebu’s tourism prospects could be seen through the resumption of operation by most of them and noted that weekend occupancy has picked up as locals have started doing staycations.

Suarez added that as of end of October, at least 90 percent of HRRAC’s member hotels have already resumed operations while about 95 percent of their resorts have since reopened.  The goal right now of the industry is to improve customer confidence in leisurely stay amid the ongoing threat of COVID-19.

“For as long as we follow the minimum health standards, we will overcome the virus. And Cebu is ready to welcome tourists,” Suarez said and cited that there is a need for opening Cebu to international tourists to get back tourism on track to recovery.

He added that the industry really hopes to welcome international flights again starting next year both for business and leisure to slowly bring back the pre-COVID times.  Due to travel restrictions from abroad, the tourism industry in Cebu is banking on the domestic market to attract sales.

According to Suarez the varying regulations imposed by local government units (LGU) are not encouraging the domestic tourism market to take off.   He called for further relaxed travel restrictions and requirements for domestic travelers to encourage them to visit local destinations.

LGU restrictions remain a challenge for HRRAC.  “We can’t push the domestic travel market unless we can slowly ease the restrictions,” he said.

Moving forward, the tourism industry is also expected to lie low from the annual Sinulog Festival, which had been a major tourism draw for Cebu in the past years.  For next year’s celebration several crowd-drawing activities will not be observed as preemptive measure against the further spread of COVID-19.

During the same online discussion, Cebu City Tourism Commission chairperson Jocelyn Pesquera said that her office is coming up with exciting alternative activities related to the religious and cultural feast to offset the cancellation of major outdoor events.

“It’s a big challenge for us but our priority really now is to protect the health of our people,” she said.