Resort to open shopping arcade

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/business/2017/03/22/resort-open-shopping-arcade-532484
• Wednesday, March 22, 2017

By Katlene O. Cacho

By April this year, Plantation Bay Resort and Spa is set to open its new offering to the tourism market—its high-end shopping arcade that is meant to boost the guest experience.

“Construction is already 80 to 90 percent (complete). We target to open in the middle of April this year,” said Plantation Bay Resort and Spa general manager Efren Belarmino, in an interview yesterday.

Construction of the shopping arcade began sometime last year. The resort also recently completed room renovations.

The two-level, 125-square-meter shopping arcade will be occupied by a tenants selling high-end souvenir items. The resort will also have its own space to sell its own products. Belarmino disclosed that they are still in negotiations with another tenant in the jewelry business.

The shopping arcade is located inside the resort’s 11.5-hectare property in Barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City. Belarmino said the retail outlet is aimed at enhancing the guest experience and boosting the tourism offering for local and foreign guests.

Variety

Shopping, he said, is one of the top activities of tourists, specifically the growing number of Taiwanese visitors.

“Foreign tourists don’t only come to Cebu for leisure activities. They are also inclined toward shopping activities. Mactan Island, however, doesn’t have luxury shopping centers and guests may need to go to Cebu City, where there is a high presence of bigger shopping malls,” said Belarmino.

Moreover, the general manager reported a healthy occupancy level since the start of this year. This observation, he noted, is also being felt by all resort players in Mactan Island.

Belarmino expects more tourists to visit Cebu with the additional direct flights launched since last year.

He hopes these new direct flights would translate to high revenues in rooms, food and beverage, retail and other leisure activities. “These direct flights are helping us,” he said.

Data from the tourism department showed that tourism receipts in the country generated earnings amounting to P21.7 billion in January this year.

Korea is the top spending market, with receipts amounting to P6.5 billion followed by US with total visitor spending of P3.69 billion. Japan landed in the third spot with P2.12 billion expenditure, followed by Australia at P1.59 billion and Canada at P1.09 billion.