Hotel bookings surge as Sinulog approaches

Local

HOTEL rooms in Cebu are filling up fast, with most properties already at or above 90 percent occupancy for the Sinulog Festival weekend.

Mia Singson-Leon, president of the Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu .Inc (HRRACI) and head of Quest Hotel, said hotels in key areas such as the Ayala Business District, Central IT Park, and downtown are nearly full, with some properties already sold out online.

“Bookings have been coming in steadily since last year, and so far, the demand remains very strong,” she said in an interview on Friday, Jan. 9.

Most festival guests are still domestic travelers, Singson-Leon noted, though international arrivals have increased thanks to new direct flights from Macau, Guam, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan that started in December.

“It’s encouraging to see more international visitors this year. The new flights are helping bring in more guests, and it shows the growing interest in Cebu during Sinulog,” she added.

At Quest Hotel, she said, all 427 rooms and 43 apartments are booked for the weekend’s main events, particularly for Saturday, which is traditionally the busiest day.

She said Fridays and Sundays still have limited availability, but last-minute cancellations could open up rooms for those willing to call ahead.

Despite recent natural calamities, Singson-Leon said cancellations have been minimal for the Sinulog weekend.

She explained that most affected bookings were for meetings or leisure events rather than festivalgoers.

The Sinulog Festival, which officially begins with the opening salvo on Friday, continues alongside the ongoing Fiesta Señor celebrations.

Both cultural and religious activities are expected to draw thousands of visitors, further pushing demand for accommodations.

Meanwhile, earlier, authorities projected that up to 5 million tourists and devotees are expected to fill the streets for the 461st Fiesta Señor and Sinulog Grand Parade on Sunday, Jan. 18.

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. made the announcement during a send-off ceremony for security and emergency personnel, adding that the city has finalized preparations to ensure public safety and smooth coordination during the festivities.

Communication services will remain uninterrupted, with no signal shutdowns planned to support emergency response.

Security and emergency personnel will be deployed across key areas, including parade routes, procession paths, transport terminals, and other major convergence points.(MyTVCebu)