Hotel owners group eyes creation of nearly 500,000 new room keys by 2028

Tagaytay’s ridge has become a hotspot for property developers, with hotels, commercial, and residential projects sprouting alongside a vibrant mix of bed and breakfasts and restaurants. INQUIRER FILES

A local industry group of hotel operators, together with the Department of Tourism (DOT), is projecting the creation of 456,000 new hotel room keys in the Philippines by 2028 in a bid to meet the demand seen in the next five years.

The Philippine Hotel Owners Association Inc. (PHOA) revealed their target on Wednesday, October 16, during the official unveiling of the Philippine Hotel Industry Strategic Action Plan (PHISAP) 2023-2028 at the Westin Manila Hotel in Ortigas.

“Here in the Philippines, tourism is a vital pillar of our economy, proving itself resilient in the face of many challenges. As we celebrate these wins, we must also confront the challenges before us,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said in her speech during the event.

“We have some catching up to do, and I’m very glad that with the aggressive investment of our hotel owners, as well as our partners in the tourism industry, we are well on our way to meeting that demand,” she also said during the latter part of her address.

According to the DOT, the action plan has been designed to “enhance the competitiveness, sustainable development, and expansion of the Philippine hotel sector.”

READ: Hotel owners: Measures needed to sustain recovery in tourism sector

The DOT also said that its key objectives include gathering industry feedback, fostering collaboration among stakeholders, and aligning efforts to enhance the local tourism and accommodation sectors.

“PHISAP seeks to address the evolving demands of tourism in a way that is both innovative while being inclusive,” Frasco said.

She likewise highlighted the contributions of the accommodation sector in the tourism industry, citing its 16.2 percent share in the P2.09 trillion tourism direct gross value-added (TDGVA) and its 23.3 percent share in the 6.21 million tourism jobs in 2023.

Frasco added that the sector also attracted more than 51.4 percent of the P508.8 billion in tourism investments they have recorded, adding that this demonstrates its critical role in the country’s economic recovery.

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Included in the DOT’s plan of actions is prioritizing transport networks that will allow visitors to easily reach even the most remote destinations in the country, and enhancing digital platforms that cater to the modern traveler’s need for information and convenience.

“This is precisely the reason why the Department of Tourism has strongly advocated for the construction and expansion of tourism roads, linking our destinations through bridges, effectively and aggressively pursuing the privatization of our airports,” Frasco said.

She said they are also introducing digitalization in their traditional tourism offerings such as the launch of the Travel Philippines Mobile Application and the launch of their tourist assistance call center.

Further, the DOT chief said the government has exerted great effort to consider the needs of tourists as they travel across the country, citing the upcoming construction of tourist first aid facilities in destinations.

She also cited establishing additional hyperbaric chambers for divers’ safety, as well as the continuous training of tourist police in the country.