Hotels, resorts expect high occupancy this Holy Week

MANILA – Hotels and resorts are expected to enjoy high occupancy as travelers move around the country in the coming days.

The Holy Week has historically been a peak period for domestic travel in the Philippines.

In a news release issued Monday, Philippine Hotel Owners Association (PHOA) President Arthur Lopez said hotels have been reporting very good bookings.

“I have been receiving feedback from our members that bookings are rising, which is very encouraging,” Lopez said.

With the easing of inter-zonal travel requirements, Filipinos can take advantage of the long days off from work during the Holy Week by traveling to different destinations in the country, creating strong demand both for city hotels and resorts.

“The high demand is a welcome development for the accommodation sector, which has been severely impacted by the pandemic in the last two years. The return to pre-pandemic levels will take a while but at least we are seeing stronger demand across different traveler segments,” Lopez added.

With greater mobility among travelers and higher operating capacity in hotels, PHOA will continue to strictly implement health and safety protocols among its members.

“We are committed to ensuring a safe and enjoyable stay for all our guests. We will therefore ensure adherence to public health standards in the entire customer journey,” Lopez said.

Most parts of the country are under the most lenient Alert Level 1 until April 15 as coronavirus cases remain low.

Under Alert Level 1, movement of persons, regardless of age and comorbidities, is allowed, but with restrictions on crowded and closed spaces and close-contact settings.

In early February, the Philippines also loosened travel restrictions and reopened its borders to vaccinated international tourists.

Department of Tourism, citing data generated from the One Health Pass, said as of April 7, a total of 202,700 have arrived in the country.

PHOA is a non-stock, non-profit organization established in 1977. With 300 active members, it is the largest private group of hotel owners, investors and developers in the Philippine tourism industry.