By Artemio Dumlao (The Philippine Star) Updated November 02, 2009 12:00 AM
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The city’s tourism industry is getting back on its feet.
This, after a momentary slump in tourist arrivals after typhoon “Pepeng” devastated most of the roads going up to this mountain resort city.
Proof of it is a 60 percent hike in bookings in hotels and inns in the city compared to zero occupancy in the past weeks, the Hotels and Restaurants Association of Baguio (HRAB) said.
Tourists have returned to Baguio starting Friday for the All Saints’ Day weekend.
“We are slowly inching our way up,” Anthony de Leon, chairman of the hoteliers’ group, beamed as vehicular traffic piled up along major streets starting early Thursday.
Various establishments have offered discounts to perk up business since the other week.
The Baguio Tourism Council is proposing that all establishments offer discounts for 60 days.
Tourism stakeholders have crafted a Tourism Recovery Plan that includes medium- to long-term goals to make local tourism vibrant again.
The plan includes a price watch on all tourism-related commodities.
The tourism department is optimistic that foreign tourists will also start trekking to the city and the rest of the Cordilleras as the peak season starts.
Tourism director Purificacion Molintas said all the indicators of the “peaking season” are there – tourists have money to spend because they have Christmas bonuses and other cash incentives already, not to mention the remittances of overseas Filipino workers.
A long list of activities for tourists to look forward to in Baguio abounds like the Wow Philippines this November and Christmas in Baguio in December, with the First Family spending the holidays here.
This, aside from the December chill coming in early last week when the temperature dropped to 12.4 degrees Celsius, exciting local entrepreneurs on the tourist influx for the “chill experience” which only the city offers.
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