PH Resorts expects tourism recovery amid vaccination plan
PH Resorts hopes for a recovery of the tourist sector as the Philippines’ vaccination plan moves forwards.
The Philippines.- PH Resorts Group Holdings hopes for an economic recovery in the following months as long as vaccines are rolled out.
According to the Ministry of Health, the Philippines has given at least one dose of a vaccine to 3.3 million of its 108 million population.
Jose Angel Sueiro, PH Resorts chief operating officer, said he expects a soft opening of Emerald Bay resort in Cebu in the second quarter of 2022 and completion of Phase 1 in the third quarter of next year.
Sueiro said: “The re-imposition of stricter quarantine measures in March earlier this year created more difficulties in the construction of Emerald Bay in terms of labour mobilization and materials delivery just as we were generating momentum.”
The company had originally hoped for a soft launch by the end of this year. That was put back to the second quarter of 2022 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s now put the completion of phase 1 back to the third quarter of 2022.
The second phase, which will add more than 700 electronic gaming machines and 146 additional gaming tables, is now slated for completion by 2026. The second phase will also include space for meetings and exhibitions and a second five-star hotel.
Manila IRs allowed to receive guests
The Philippines Department of Tourism (DOT) has recently allowed 13 Manila Integrated Resorts to reopen and receive guests for staycations.
With a total of 5,986 rooms between them, Metro Manila IRs may receive only staycation guests from within the National Capital Region. Guests must be aged between 18 and 65.
The announcement comes a few days after the government announced that Metro Manila would ease Covid-19 countermeasures after a drop in the number of active cases.
Although Metro Manila IRs have been allowed to receive guests, there have been no further announcements regarding the reopening of casinos.
