The Philippine Hotel Owners Association (PHOA) welcomed the government’s decision to downgrade the National Capital Region and 38 other areas to Alert 1, as this would help the recovery of the accommodations and tourism industries.
“This is a welcome development for us in the hotel industry,” PHOA President Arthur Lopez said.
NCR was officially placed under alert level 1 yesterday, which is the lowest in the alert level system. The said alert level refers to areas wherein case transmission is low and decreasing, and the total bed utilization rate and intensive care unit utilization rate are also low.
“The de-escalation of the National Capital Region to Alert Level 1 coupled with the reopening of our borders to foreign tourists and the removal of facility-based quarantine for fully vaccinated visitors from visa-free countries to the Philippines, will certainly boost recovery efforts for the country’s accommodation industry” Lopez said.
Under the more relaxed guidelines for areas under alert level 1, hotels can expect to attract more guests for staycation, dine-in services, and social events.
Guests will only have to show proof of full vaccination when entering the hotels.
“We expect higher revenue not only from rooms but also from food and beverage operations and social events,”Lopez said.
Lopez expressed hope that Metro Manila stays under alert level 1 so the industry can sustain the momentum and help the government with its recovery efforts for tourism.
“We also hope that other prime tourism destinations can be placed under a lower alert level so that our member hotels can generate a steadier revenue stream,” Lopez said.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat earlier welcomed the downgrading of the alert level in Metro Manila and other areas.
“Traveling between places under Alert Level 1 status, such as Baguio, Boracay, Ilocos Region, Aurora, Batanes, Laguna, Puerto Princesa City, Bacolod, Guimaras, Camiguin, and Davao City, is now easier and more convenient,”Puyat said.
“The Department of Tourism (DOT) anticipates with optimism the revival of many tourism jobs and opportunities that were once lost to the pandemic,”she added.