Mactan Resort Exec Says Japanese Tourists now Outnumber Koreans

A top executive of the five-star Plantation Bay Resort and Spa in Lapu-Lapu City has reported that Japanese tourists now outnumber Koreans as their number one foreign guests.

Resort manager Efren Belarmino said the Japanese market now accounts for 40 percent of their total occupancy.

But Belarmino did not cite actual figures.

He said he expects the number to increase and be sustained, following the air connectivity improvements between Cebu and the key cities in Japan like Narita and Osaka, along with the aggressive marketing promotions of the Department of Tourism and the resort’s marketing initiatives to entice this high-spending market.

Japanese tourists in the Philippines spent an estimated PHP1.44 billion during the first eight months of the year.

This makes them the fourth biggest spenders in the local tourism market, after China, United States and Korea.

A Japanese tourist spends at least USD200 a day in a destination.

Belarmino said Plantation Bay will make some adjustments in their facilities to suit the preferences of Japanese travelers because of the influx of Japanese tourists.

“We will make some alterations of the details of the room interiors, including the bed size. We have also put in place unique programs such as a complete beauty and wellness package to capture the emerging young professional Japanese ladies,” he said.

The resort property has also made improvements on its food and beverage outlet choices.

Earlier, the DOT reported a strong influx of Japanese tourists to the country, who visit not only for leisure but to learn English.

The DOT said that Japanese travelers are starting to see the potential of the Philippines as a destination for English as a Second Language (ESL) program, the same way Koreans have for years.

The agency has started doing road shows in Japan for the Japanese high school and college students to learn English in the country. (PNA) LAP/EB/EDS