Samantha Manigsaca, Assistant VP for Hospitality of AppleOne Group, Inc,, during The Freeman Business Forum "Trends That Shape Cebu's Tourism Landscape" on April 12, 2024 at Bai Hotel, Mandaue City, Cebu.
From the perspective of AppleOne Group, Inc.'s Assistant VP for Hospitality, Samantha Manigsaca, the rest of 2024 looks bright for the Visayas and Mindanao's hospitality and tourism industry.
This is following Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco's pronouncement that Mindanao plays a significant role in the country's tourism transformation during the second Mindanao Tourism Expo (MTEx) in April. She highlighted the implementation of infrastructure projects in Mindanao, such as tourist rest areas (TRAs), aimed at both attracting tourists and enhancing their experience for repeat visits.
Manigsaca echoed this view and said that Mindanao is one of the top-of-mind destinations for local and international travelers. Tourism in Mindanao has significantly driven the local economy's growth for decades. For example, the Department of Tourism recorded at least 7.1 million tourist arrivals in Mindanao in 2022.
"With the diverse nationalities of our inbound tourist arrivals, the most common drive for them to travel is for leisure, where the adventures come in, relaxing on the white sand beaches, our rich culture and history, and even wellness tourism," said Manigsaca.
Meanwhile, Manigsaca is optimistic that the Visayas will continue to thrive, with the island province of Cebu at the forefront. Cebu alone saw a 283.35% increase in tourist arrivals in 2023 versus the year prior. She emphasized how Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), the largest international airline hub outside Metro Manila, plays a vital role in the rising number of inbound tourists arriving directly at Mactan.
MCIA connects to 28 local destinations across the Philippines via eight airlines, and it also services 17 international carriers that bridge Cebu to multiple prime international destinations.
"And for us to meet this increasing demand brought about by the boom of travel and tourism, real estate investments now become a center of attention because we believe that there is still a huge opportunity that Cebu still has to offer," she said.
While AppleOne already has the Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort and Residences, as well as its business and lifestyle hub, the Mahi Center in Cebu, it still sees phenomenal potential in the rest of the Visayas and Mindanao region, by making great strides in expanding its footprint.
AppleOne is developing the JW Marriott Panglao Island Resort & Spa in Bohol, starting in the greater Visayas. This year, It will expand across Mindanao, targeting Cagayan de Oro (CDO) as its next prime location for another luxury brand hotel.
CDO is one of Mindanao's highly urbanized and fastest-growing significant cities and is expected to become the Philippines' fourth metropolitan area by 2025, according to the Philippine Development Plan for 2023-2028. This is due to its projected population growth and strategic location as a gateway and logistics hub for Northern Mindanao.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Northern Mindanao reported a remarkable 9.4 percent growth rate for CDO, reflected in its increasing share of the national GDP in 2022. This position places it third behind established urbanized areas like Davao and Cebu. Considering these factors, AppleOne's expansion into Cagayan de Oro is strategic.
Samantha Manigsaca said, "AppleOne will continuously define trends and lead the way in elevating industry standards in all residential, commercial, and hospitality sectors, bringing in global brands that will allow Visayas and Mindanao to be known and recognized worldwide because of the captured market that these brands can bring into our region."
AppleOne Group, Inc., commits to continuing to support the government alongside the DOT, LGUs, and the private sector. Manigsaca hopes all stakeholders will help boost the VisMin tourism and hospitality industry, which will entail investing in infrastructure connecting these island
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