CEBU HOTEL/TOUR PACKAGES CHEAPER
Cebu City, March 6, 1998 - The Department of Trade and Industry says Cebu tour and hotel operators are trying to secure lower prices to make tour packages more attractive to foreign and local travellers.
The Cebu Association of Tour Operators has asked the local hotel association to cut room rates by att least 10% to better reflect the peso slump. Manila-based tour and hotel executives plan to follow suit.
The Philippine tourism industry performed remarkably well over the past 5 years. Visitor arrivals from 1993 to 1997 grew at a steady pace of 12.87% annually, and reached an all-time high of 2.22 million visitors in 1997.
The moves to reduce dollar-denominated hotel room rates are aimed at ensuring the continuing attraction of the Philippines to dollar-spending foreign travellers. The DTI in its latest report noted that the member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations compete against one another in luring foreign tourists shopping for cheaper rest and recreation sites in the region.
Thailand and Malaysia are attracting bargain-hunters by quoting rates in the local currency for hotel and tourist services and outlets.
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