HOTELS and other accommodation establishments in Cebu City are starting to experience full occupancy once again now that the Sinulog Festival has resumed this year after a two-year break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Alfred Reyes, president of the Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC), told SunStar Cebu on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2022, that with the Sinulog Festival back, foreign and local tourists are also back on the island.
“Business was already good in 2022; however, (in) 2023, the start of the year especially with Sinulog, it is a very good opportunity for hoteliers again, for the hotel and resort owners to showcase Cebu as a tourist destination once again,” Reyes said.
Reyes said hotels and other accommodation establishments situated where the Sinulog’s main events will be held are experiencing an increase in bookings.
With one week to go before the major events of the Sinulog season and still available rooms for booking, Reyes is optimistic that more guests will book their stay in hotels in the city.
Reyes said that as of Thursday, Jan. 5, five-star hotels in Cebu had already achieved a 90 percent occupancy rate now that the Sinulog season has started.
Reyes added that four-star hotels in Cebu showed an 80 percent occupancy rate while three-star hotels are showing a 60 to 70 percent occupancy rate.
Majority of their guests are foreign and domestic tourists who are visiting Cebu to witness the Sinulog.
Resorts too
At times when hotels in the city are fully booked, Reyes said foreign and domestic guests have the option to book their stay at resorts in Lapu-Lapu City.
Reyes said that as of Thursday, resorts in Lapu-Lapu City were experiencing a 40-50 percent occupancy rate.
In comparison to the pre-pandemic levels, he said that in the first week of January in the previous years, hotels and resorts were already fully booked.