AGI hikes room target as tourism takes off

MANILA, Philippines —  Alliance Global Group Inc. (AGI) is raising its 12,000 room keys target before the end of the decade on the back of its optimism on the growth of the country’s tourism industry.

The holding company of tycoon Andrew Tan originally intends to have a total of 12,000 room keys from 27 properties across the country by the end of the decade.

“Megaworld and Travellers, we want to continue to invest in tourism. We actually are trying to revise even our targets. Originally, our target is 12,000 rooms by 2028, 2029. Actually we’re looking now to launch more hotel projects to support the government’s thrust to promote tourism,” AGI president and CEO Kevin Tan said.

Tan said a new target is still being finalized.

“Right now it is still about 12,000 but we might be adding already because some of our new townships that we will be launching are very tourism-focused,” he said.

AGI is currently the largest hotel operator in the country, with more than 8,000 hotel room keys spread across 19 operational homegrown and international hotel properties located all over the Philippines.

Speaking at the Inside Asian Gaming Summit yesterday, Tan said AGI would continue to support the government’s efforts to position the country as a major global tourist destination through its world-class hotels and developments.

He said the group has seen huge progress from the government in terms of improving the country’s infrastructure, citing the recent privatization of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is a game changer for the industry.

“We are inspired by the government’s mandate to really push the growth of the Philippine tourism industry and elevate the country’s stature as a prime destination for business leisure in this part of the world,” Tan said.

“We are ramping up our investment in the country’s tourism sector by building more world-class amenities and hospitality products, convention centers, performing arts centers and crafting exceptional experiences,” he said.

With the country possessing several and advantages when it comes to tourism, Tan said AGI is committed to leveraging these strengths by meeting the demand for facilities that align with global standards.

“Our company’s vision is to uplift lives, impact society and help shape the nation. We aim to do this, first and foremost, by putting the Philippines on a global map. Our mission is to harness the potential and promote the Filipino people. And we strive to achieve this by investing and promoting our tourism and hospitality sector, which I think has a lot of potential,” Tan said.

“We believe that our country has what it takes to become a tourism powerhouse in this side of the world. There are so many reasons that make the Philippines a unique place,” he said.

More projects are underway to bolster the real estate and hospitality business of AGI in the next few years.

The group, through property giant Megaworld, is eyeing to launch two more townships in the country before the end of the year.