Anya Resort Tagaytay bets big on local tourism

CULINARY TREAT Samira by Chele Gonzalez has been hailed one of the world’s best luxury resort restaurants.

While other hospitality groups are pinning their full recovery hopes on the arrival of more tourists from abroad, the growing Anya Resort chain is going in the opposite direction, preferring to cater more to the needs of local travelers.

The real growth opportunities, after all, are in the domestic market that is shaking off the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that also left Filipinos raring to go out of their homes and travel after more than two years of pandemic-induced mobility restrictions.

According to Roxaco Land Corp. CEO Santiago Elizalde, tourism and hospitality are growth areas with strong potential moving forward, which augurs well for Anya Resort that is gearing itself up to capture more of the domestic tourism market.

“The foreign inbound market continues to grow steadily every year but the real opportunities lie within the local traveler market that has been growing at a rate of over 10 times that of the foreign inbound market,” Elizalde tells the Inquirer.

BRAIN TRUST Roxaco Land CEO Santiago Elizalde (second from left) leads a team that intends to bring the Anya Resort brand to other parts of the country and eventually, abroad.

The country’s macroeconomic picture supports Elizalde’s optimism, with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) forecasting that the economy will grow faster than expected in 2022 on the back of “stronger-than-expected domestic demand spurred by rising employment and a recovery in tourism after the country lifted COVID-19 mobility restrictions.”

From the original estimate of a 6.5-percent growth in the country’s gross domestic product this year, the ADB raised it to 7.4 percent.

To take advantage of that robust growth, Elizalde says the group is looking at the possibility of replicating the flagship Anya Resort Tagaytay, a member of the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World, in two to three more areas across the country, and eventually, abroad.

Yoga classes and spa treatments are on Anya’s menu.

Culinary haven

What Anya Resort Tagaytay brings to the table are top-class culinary offerings such as Samira by Chele Gonzalez that won Luxury Resort Restaurant, and health and wellness options, including the award-winning Niyama Wellness Center. These have enjoyed greater demand because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has made Filipinos more conscious of their physical and emotional well-being.

“We are tailoring the Anya Resort concept to fit the demands of the modern traveler and target market. We want to make our offerings relevant to what the market is looking for at this time,” Elizalde says.

He says the group will finance the expansion over the next few years through various means. One is by taking in investors for every project and another is by replicating the business model used for Tagaytay, which involves the sale and management of investment units where owners get a share of room revenues.

Whatever the final mode employed, what is sure is that there will be more Anya Resort concepts coming out to satisfy the hunger of local—as well as international—road warriors and travelers for world-class options where they can rest weary minds and bodies.

Signature massage

Nestled within a 7.2-hectare green expanse, Anya Resort Tagaytay has become a favorite destination of those who want to escape from the fast-paced city lifestyle. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO