Hotel exec bullish on PH prospects

DAVAO CITY March 27- A hotel executive bared that his company is bullish on the potentials of the Philippines as an emerging hotel market in the Asia Pacific Region.

“You have an expanding middle class, young and dynamic population plus the presence of low cost airlines and a growing government spending on infrastructure.”  says Simon Barlow, Asia Pacific president of the Carlson Rezidor Group.

The Carlson Rezidor Group of Hotels is one of the largest hotel group in the world operating in 80 countries and employing 78,000 people in its 1079 hotels belonging to the group. It recently inaugurated its newest hotel in the Philippines- Park Inn by Radisson located in Davao City.

Barlow cited the potentials of the country during his press conference held last March 22 during the formal opening of Park Inn by Radisson in Davao City. He cited the 41-million domestic and international tourists in 2012 which is estimated to grow by 66 million in 2016.

He said that by 2016 the country would need 76,000 hotel rooms across the country to fill the growing tourism market.

Barlow bared that the country along with India and Indonesia are where the company is focusing in the region. The hotel executive cited the multiple development opportunities present in the country.

The Carlson Rezidor regional head said that they are focusing on midscale hotels like the Park Inn by Radisson brand as there is growing market for midscale hotels and the country has many upscale hotels in the pipeline.

He said that present location of the hotel in Davao City was ripe for development, he cited the combination of a convention facility and a mall is a powerful complement to Davao City being the capital city of the south.

The Park Inn by Radisson Davao built by SM Hotels and Conventions is a 204-room P750-million midscale hotel development it is located inside the SM Lanang Premiere which hosts a sprawling shopping mall and a 4,750 square meter convention facility, the SMX Davao.

According to Barlow there are 128 Park Inn by Radisson hotels in the world across 39 countries with 68 more hotels in the pipeline, the Davao Park Inn is the first hotel of the brand in the Asia Pacific Region. (PIA/RG Alama)