Cebu needs more duty-free shops

CEBU, Philippines — The Philippines or Cebu in particular, needs to establish more duty-free shops or tax free stores if it wants to lure in more Chinese visitors.

This is suggestion made by expat hotelier Brian Connelly, who is also the general manager of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.

Connelly, who managed another property in Phuket, Thailand prior to his assignment in Cebu said what the Philippines lacks is the availability of tax-free shops, those that are easily accessible to the “shopaholic” Chinese tourists.

Chinese tourists according to Connelly spend heavily in shopping, such as on luxurious watches, bags and other items.

Although the Philippines is starting to gain traction of the wildly growing Chinese travelers, it has to do more to get a bigger chunk of this highly potential and big spender visitors.

Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, he said is doing its best to get the attention of the Chinese market. He mentioned the hotel’s aggressive and ongoing campaigns in some cities and provinces in China, like Shenzhen, Guangzhou, among others.

In preparation however for the avalanche of Chinese visitors coming to Cebu, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu opened the Cantonese authentic restaurant called Hai Shin Lou that can accommodate around 250 diners at one time.

Hai Shin Lou Cebu is the second outlet opened by Manila-based group of friends including Metrobank Group’s Alfred Ty. The first outlet was opened in Manila in 2003.

Connelly believes that the Philippines, particularly Cebu could become the darling destination of the Chinese from across market segment, if proper facilities, promotions, are to be introduced.

Undersecretary for Tourism Development Planning Benito C. Bengzon Jr. described China as the second-biggest foreign tourist market for the Philippines recording a growth rate of 52.65 percent in the first four months of the year.

Latest data released by the Department of Tourism (DOT-7) revealed that China overtook Japan in terms of arrivals, with 429,306 arrivals recorded in 2017.

In Central Visayas, Chinese posted the highest growth among the top 10 foreign markets of the region at 75 percent, from 244,925 arrivals in the previous year.