Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat announced that hotels in areas classified under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified general community quarantine (MCGQ) may now be allowed to operate at full capacity.
In a statement, Puyat said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases authorized the Department of Tourism (DOT) to determine the allowable operational capacity up to 100 percent for hotels, including “staycation” hotels, in GCQ and MGCQ areas.
“Also approved in the said resolution is the easing up of interzonal and intrazonal movement, which is the predicate to reviving domestic tourism,” Puyat said.
“Along with this comes the need to ready the whole tourism value chain, which includes the accommodation, transportation, and tour operation sectors. Allowing the accommodation sector to operate at full capacity will be most welcomed by tourism’s workforce that has been greatly affected since the community lockdown,” she added.
As of October 13, ten star-rated hotels have secured the DOT’s CAO for a staycation.
These are the Grand Hyatt, Makati Shangri-La, Okada, Shangri-La at the Fort, Nobu Hotel City Of Dreams, Joy Nostalg Hotel and Suites, EDSA Shangri-La, Solaire, Hyatt Regency City Of Dreams and Nuwa City Of Dreams.
There are 28 DOT star-rated hotels in Metro Manila with 16 of them rated five stars and 12 with four stars.
Image Source: Forbes, The Straight Times
Additional report: Catherinie Talavera Philstar