BACOLOD CITY – Department of Tourism (DOT)-6 (Western Visayas) Director Crisanta Marlene Rodriguez disclosed that tourist arrivals in this city reached 780,960 last year.
Rodriguez, speaking at the opening of a new hotel here last week, also said that the province of Negros Occidental had 694,050 tourist arrivals.
She is hopeful that this development would be able to increase the number of tourists here this year and the years to come.
The DOT-6 is pushing for Bacolod to become a preferred Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) destination in the country.
Citadines Bacolod
Meanwhile, local officials welcomed the opening of the hotel that will enhance the tourism and hospitality industries here and Negros Occidental.
Citadines Bacolod City, now considered as the largest hotel here, with 200 rooms developed by Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) and managed by The Ascott Ltd., formally opened on Friday, June 14.
GOV. Eugenio Jose Lacson (fifth from left), Mayor Albee Benitez (fifth from right), and executives of the Cebu Landmasters Inc. headed by its chairman and chief executive officer Jose Soberano III (third from right), formally open Citadines Bacolod City on Lacson St. on Friday, June 14. (Glazyl Masculino)
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Mayor Albee Benitez, along with CLI executives led by chairman and chief executive officer Jose Soberano III, and The Ascott Ltd. Country General Manager Patrick Vaysse, led the ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open Citadines Bacolod City on Lacson St.
In his message, Benitez thanked the CLI for believing in Bacolod and choosing the city to build their new hotel.
“It goes a long way for us especially there are investments coming in, not just millions, but billions. So, we are very happy,” the mayor said as he welcomed and assured the CLI that their investment here will not go to waste.
Benitez said that hotel rooms are one of the problems here every MassKara Festival because of its limited number. But with this development, he said that the people here will surely feel the economic vibrancy of this city.
He said that Citadines Bacolod City is now the largest hotel in this city. “The CLI will have a very good investment in this part of the province,” he said.
Lacson said that the new hotel aligns with their efforts to enhance the Negros Island Region’s infrastructures.
“Being a sugar bowl in the country, Negros Occidental is more than just a sugar, as it is also known for our rich natural resources, historical sites, and the Negrenses’ hospitality,” he added.
Lacson said that the new hotel will provide top care accommodation options with international standards, increasing local employment, and boost the province’s tourism industry.
“Your investment is a testament to the potential we see in our province,” Lacson said, as he lauded and thanked CLI for choosing the province as part of the places to display their unraveling commitment to elevating the hospitality standard.
The governor encouraged everyone to continue working together to make the province a premier destination for domestic and international tourists.
Certificate of accreditation
Rodriguez awarded Citadines Bacolod City a certificate of accreditation from the DOT which was received by cluster general manager Cecille Teodoro.
“We are looking forward to having this property star accredited and hopeful to be given five stars,” Teodoro said.
About 80 percent of the hotel staff are from this city and the province and are being trained according to The Ascott standards.
“Our goal is to provide an exceptional living experience for our guests, blending the comforts of home with the dynamism of Bacolod's cultural heritage,” Vaysse said.
“The launch of Citadines Bacolod City, in addition to our three operational hotels in Cebu, will definitely reinforce this growth," Soberano said.
The P2-billion Citadines Bacolod is a project of CCLI Premier Hotels, a joint venture of CLI in partnership with Capitaine Inc. led by Alec Lustre as company president.