CEBU CITY – City hotels in Cebu have noted high rates of guest arrivals during the first two months of this year, with hotel occupancy reaching above the 60 percent mark. Many hoteliers here say this is an indication that the world’s travel market seems to have really started to pick up.

“It might be early to conclude, but we say that 2010 will be better than last year,” Cebu Parklane International Hotel (Parklane) General Manager Cenelyn Manguilimotan told Manila Bulletin in an interview. “Our occupancy rate averaged 65 to 68 percent in January and February and we see this growing month on month because there are more activities in business and tourism both here and abroad.”

Manguilimotan said Japanese visitors comprise of Parklane’s top international market although Filipino guests continue to dominate the hotel’s guest profile.

Cebu City Marriott Hotel General Manager Roy Abraham, sharing the same optimism, said the Marriot’s occupancy rate has even gone up to as high as 76 percent in the first two months of 2010.

“Business is very good for Cebu’s hospitality industry,” remarked Abraham. “We normally don’t have this high percentage in February, but it seems that that month, compared to the same period last year, was very busy.”

For Marriott-Cebu, Americans are the hotel’s top international visitors, also majority of the bookings come likewise from domestic guests.

Abraham noted that Chinese nationals, especially those coming from Mainland China, are an emerging visitor market for the hotel.

“We have noticed so far a good number of Chinese staying in the hotel this year. We haven’t seen this much Chinese guests in the hotel last year,” he said, adding that Cebu’s hospitality industry is grateful for the efforts of the Department of Tourism (DoT) in pushing for more Chinese arrivals beginning with direct chartered flights from China to Cebu.

Manguilimotan said Cebu-based hotels are now capitalizing on the bullishness manifested in Cebu’s tourism and business industries by attending international trade fairs and coming up with more value-added services for their guests.

Parklane, for instance, has decided to bank on the global meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) market. This month, Manguilimotan will join the Middle East travel roadshow to be conducted by the DoT, which is intended to lure visitors from Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and Kuwait, among others.

“City-based hotels will benefit more from the Middle East market compared to the Europeans because those in the Middle East love to shop. Given the proximity of Cebu hotels to shopping and entertainment centers, we hope we can take advantage of this market,” Manguilimotan said.

She also revealed that Parklane is set to launch this month its Loyalty and Rewards Kit, which provides additional incentives for hotel guests including free rooms and discount coupons, among others, all of which will be ideal for local and foreign business travelers, particularly frequent guests of the hotel.