Sumilon, Cebu: How to ‘sell’ a tourist island

The high-end Bluewater Sumilon Resort, one of three such Bluewater properties, lies on the island of Sumilon off Oslob, southeast Cebu.

It is accessible via ferryboat from Dumaguete City, normally a one-hour ride.

In the background is the island province of Siquijor. And in the distance you can see the outline of Bohol.

The Sumilon resort (sumilon@bluewater.com.ph) has everything—well, almost everything—that you can expect on an island getaway.

There is an historic watchtower and a more modern lighthouse, an impressive, blindingly white sandbar, which is the first thing you see when the boat docks; a natural lagoon with mangroves facing the open sea, fish feeding, elegant rooms, pools, a restaurant by the bay, and frolicking with friendly butandings (whale sharks).

A boat cruise around the island costs P1,500, good for a maximum of five persons per boat.

A day tour costs P7,000 with a minimum of two persons. This includes fullboard meals, airport transfers (Cebu or Dumaguete), butanding experience, Tumalog waterfalls experience and island activities.

Butanding

Since 2011, hordes of tourists, domestic and foreign, have been descending on the Tan-awan-Oslob beach facing the resort.

The friendly, giant sea creatures are right there near the shore, attracted by the alamang (tiny shrimps) fed to them by the boatmen. You can almost reach out to touch them. Some of the media team members swam along with them; and there was a long line of boats, with the passengers wearing lifejackets.

The boatmen each earn P700 on a normal day, more during the holidays and festival days.

There are around 140 fishermen, accounting for earnings of up to P1 million a day, according to tourist guide Raul Nacario.

The fishermen get 60 percent of the money; the Oslob local government, 30 percent; while the rest goes to Barangay Tam-awan.

If for some reason, as in force majeure, there is no sighting of the butanding, don’t expect a refund.

Business booming

There are other surprises in green-laden southeast Cebu, like the six-level Aguinid Falls and the towering Tumalog Falls (P30 for each kid and P50 for each adult), the 1830s church of stone in Oslob and, beside it, an 1890s “Cuartel,” or barracks for Spanish soldiers.

It is summer and business is booming in Sumilon Island and Oslob. Room rates at the resort range from P30,000 for a single deluxe room to P55,000 (during the peak season) for a luxurious two-bedroom villa good for four persons.

Margie F. Munsayac is the person in charge of sales and marketing of the resort, which is located on a 24-hectare island.

“There are different types of marketing,” she says of her work at the resort, which is geared towards the A-B market. “Mostly PR-based, media invites, digital social media, and word of mouth.”

The resort started with 14 rooms which, Munsayac says, was “a good investment in a way.”

Then when the butanding came, they added more rooms and air-conditioned cottages, until a full-fledged resort emerged.

“We packaged it as a fancy destination, aimed at the corporate and diving markets, and families,” Munsayac adds.

She describes the place as “great for brainstorming and de-stressing corporate people.”

What about the return on investments (ROI)?

“Ideally, for hotels and resorts, that’s seven years,” the marketing executive says. “We are now on our 9th year, so ROI na.”

She notes, however, that it is very expensive to run an island resort.

“We have to transport everything to the island, pay freight. We’re trying to be self-sufficient, that’s why we planted an organic garden. We have a 24-hour generator, so our next target is solar energy,” she says.