CEBU CITY, Cebu — In response to a tourism slowdown driven by the global energy crisis, at least 22 hotels and resorts in Cebu have rolled out discounts of up to 50 percent through “workcation” and “staycation” packages.
The offers are aimed at domestic travelers and select international markets, even as the province’s strong early-year tourism performance now faces headwinds from global pressures that could dampen one of Cebu’s key economic sectors.
The Cebu Provincial Board has projected that the province could lose around 213,000 tourist arrivals this year if current global conditions persist. Board Member Red Duterte, chair of the Committee on Tourism, disclosed the forecast using data from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority.
Duterte also cautioned that geopolitical tensions and rising travel costs are already affecting passenger movement and airline operations, with the broader global crisis weighing on the tourism industry.
“Our stakeholders are starting to feel the pinch,” he said, pointing to rising jet fuel prices as a major factor increasing airline operating costs and influencing route decisions.
“As fuel costs rise, so does jet fuel… for airlines, 40 percent of their cost is fuel,” he added.
He noted that several routes have already been affected, with carriers such as Qatar Airways suspending its Cebu flights, while Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific trimmed some domestic services, including Cebu–Ozamiz and Cebu–Calbayog routes. Vietnam Airlines has also reduced its Hanoi–Cebu flights.
Despite these challenges, Duterte said Cebu recorded strong tourism growth in the first quarter of the year, with arrivals surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Domestic arrivals rose from 2.26 million to 2.56 million, while international arrivals increased from 780,000 to 919,000, bringing total passenger traffic to 3.55 million.
Still, he warned that momentum could weaken by early June if conditions do not improve.
“We were supposed to be on a very good start for this year, but the momentum may not hold,” Duterte said, noting that any slowdown would directly impact local economies dependent on tourism spending.(Tracy Cabrera)
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