Hotel room shortage in Mactan

CEBU, Philippines - There is a shortage of rooms in Mactan as this urban beach destination is getting more popular among travelers from here and abroad.

This is the assessment made by Movenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu general manager Harold Rainfroy noting a surprising room demand in the last couple of months. The resort's occupancy rates are already running at high records in fact it had to turn down some bookings.

"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 since December.

Amid the problem of extreme traffic going to Cebu mainland, Mactan is somehow saved from this "mess", as most guests are comfortable staying and lounging on the beach.

"As long as we have the sun, we dont need the city," he added.

Rainfroy believes that Mactan needs to have more 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 indications are already felt by the tourism service providers.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) decision to launch the "It's More Fun in the Philippines" tagline is paying off and has given a good reputation for the country as a destination.

Moreover, Cebu's ranking as the fifth best island in the world by Conde Nast Traveler has superimposed the island's allure to global travelers.

"Cebu is not as wild as Phuket in Thailand, but it's more personal with plenty of up-and-coming restaurants and shopping," Conde Nast wrote of Cebu in its website.

This description and ranking has directed the eyes of affluent to mainstream tourists to make Cebu their next destination darling.

The Australian and Kiwis, for instance, are now looking at the Philippines, including Cebu as they already are tired of Thailand and Indonesia.

The more rooms Mactan can offer, the diverse the visitors the island could attract. This is the reason why, Movenpick is distributing its room allocation to other nationalities to see diversity in visitor profile.

Currently, Movenpick's guests profile is dominated by Koreans, Filipinos, Japanese and an increasing number of Chinese, Americans and Europeans.

The apparent problem that Mactan is facing is availability of more rooms, Rainfroy reiterated. (FREEMAN)