Eyeing North America, Europe

• Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/business/2016/04/22/eyeing-north-america-europe-469263
• Saturday, April 23, 2016

By Katlene O. Cacho

RADISSON Blu Hotel Cebu is expecting an increase of leisure tourists from North America and Europe to come to Cebu, following the province’s latest connection to the United States and the Middle East.

Although he declined to disclose specific targets, the hotel’s new general manager Laurent Boisdron is confident foreign arrivals will increase as hotel marketing efforts are geared towards wooing these high-spending and long-staying type of tourists.

“We believe we will get more business from Europe and North America as a result of these new connectivity developments for Cebu,” said the French-American national in an interview.

Boisdron was officially introduced to the media Wednesday. A seasoned hotelier, he spent 22 years in the industry, previously holding positions in acclaimed properties and corporate offices of renowned brands in key cities of Europe such as Barcelona, Paris, London, and Brussels to North America in Chicago, Boston, Miami and Dubai.

His most recent role was based in Minneapolis, USA handling corporate responsibilities for the Carlson Rezidor Worldwide Head Office, providing support and strategic leadership for the group’s owned and managed hotels.

According to Boisdron, his familiarity of the culture of North Americans, Europeans and Middle Eastern guests is already an advantage for the hotel to capture a good share of these markets.

He, however, emphasized that the hotel would not limit all its marketing efforts to these new markets but also grow the domestic and Asian markets.

“With all the improvements taking place, from connectivity down to making our hotel competitive, there is a big opportunity for all our markets to grow. We have been enjoying repeat customers, long-staying guests and growing Mice and leisure businesses,” said Boisdron, adding that the quality of service, product, and constant innovation are key elements for a hotel business to sustain its foothold in the midst of tough competition.

Boisdron was instrumental in rolling out the Catering to Go from Blu, a concept he initiated in bringing the five-star catering service of the hotel to its offsite social and corporate events. The project was first introduced in Radisson Blu Aqua in Chicago, USA.

In Cebu, the project was rolled out in March during the Emirates Airlines Cebu-Dubai inaugural flight.

Also last Wednesday, Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu introduced hotel manager Fabien Martinez, a French national a culinary background, having started as an executive chef before serving as director for food and beverage for award-winning resorts and hotels. He was an executive sous chief for Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa in 2001.