THAI hotel brand Dusit International bared its footprint expansion plan in the Philippines on the back of the hospitality industry’s growth, especially for high-end travelers and strong meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) market.
Dusit International Director for Development Asia Pacific Ryan Chen said they are keen on expanding in the other cities and destinations within the country, given the bullish prospects ahead of the tourism sector here.
“These new projects can leverage from our experience and established networks in the Philippines and in the region,” he said.
For one, the Dusit Thani Residences Davao is now being constructed. The first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, these 168 key full-service residences are set for turnover in 2018.
Other projects undergoing construction in the city province are the Dusit D2 Hotel and Lubi Plantation Resort. The former is a 120-room accommodation facility that boasts of high-tech and modern features. Located beside the Dusit Thani Residences, this will also be the first Dusit D2 Hotel in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the latter is a 37-hectare master-planned resort community seated on a private island off the coast of Davao.
Developers intend to position it as the country’s first internationally branded club membership. Chen said they chose Davao for these projects due to its economic growth, which bodes well for the global hospitality industry.
He also lauded the company’s timely partnership with Filipino real-estate developer Torre Lorenzo.
“We have found a quality partner in Torre Lorenzo as this company is both experienced with the local real -estate market and is aligned with our vision for the Dusit brand in the Philippines,” the top executive said.
Citing industry reports on Asia as the top destination of choice for Mice, Chen disclosed their plan to cater further to this market on a regional basis.
“With that, Dusit International is gearing up its services to meet this demand across our locations in Asia. We’re optimistic that our new properties in Davao will be able to participate in this trend. A key aspect of the industry in Davao is its robust domestic market and relatively untapped markets where opportunities for growth are abundant,” he said.