HOTELS especially in Metro Manila are projecting a happier Christmas this year with revenues coming from longer stays by balikbayans (homecoming Filipinos) and social gatherings.
“The change in quarantine guidelines will help improve occupancy and to some extent, revenue of our hotels,” said Philippine Hotel Operators Association executive director Benito C. Bengzon Jr. in a Viber message to the BusinessMirror. “Even with the quarantine requirement, we remain optimistic that this will not discourage balikbayans from coming home for the holidays as many of them are fully vaccinated and will want to reunite with their loved ones,” he added.
Due to the gradual spread of the Covid-19 Omicron variant globally, the Philippine government has banned flights from so-called Red List countries, while international arrivals from countries on the Green and Yellow Lists, are required to take an RT-PCR test 72 hours prior to departure. With a negative result, on arrival in the country’s major gateways, they must quarantine for five days in a government-accredited hotel if they have been fully vaccinated, or seven days if they are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.
“Regardless of a negative RT-PCR test result, they shall be required to undergo home quarantine up to the 14th day from the date of arrival,” according to Resolution No. 152 issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases on December 2, 2021. Vaccinated travelers will be tested on the fifth day of their hotel quarantine, while those unvaccinated or partially vaccinated will be tested on the seventh day of quarantine.
‘Greater confidence since Halloween’
Hotels are also upbeat because they are now allowed to hold social gatherings, although still required to strictly enforce healthy and safety protocols.
Peggy Angeles, executive vice president of SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. for one, shared, “As long as the Alert Level stays at 2 and the Omicron variant does not get into the country, we are definitely seeing a better and brighter Christmas this year compared to last year. There is a trend of greater confidence since the long weekend of October 31, and it is our hope that this positive trend will continue not only through Christmas but for the coming year.”
She added, “December 2021 will see more family celebrations especially with kids now allowed to go out. This would mean they will be small-sized events though. Companies are still cautious and rightfully so because most have not done financially well for the year. Yet I see a doubling of revenues compared to December 2020. But this also only means December will somehow cover some (not all) the slow months of 2021.”
She said this yearend good fortune will not only be felt by all of SMHCC’s properties nationwide, “but this should be the trend for most hotels be in NCR (National Capital Region), Luzon Visayas or Mindanao.”
Enough hotel rooms
Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism (DOT) assured the public there will be enough hotel rooms to accommodate the projected influx of balikbayan travelers this holiday season, despite the longer quarantine period.
“Even with the five-day quarantine for each arriving balikbayan, there will still be enough hotel rooms to accommodate them in NCR,” said DOT Undersecretary-in-charge for Tourism Regulation, Coordination, and Resource Generation Christopher V. Morales.
He added, “The team led by the Department of Transportation and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration are closely coordinating with us so that adjustments and preparation can be made in so far as quarantine hotels are concerned.