ILOILO CITY – The economic impact of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) to resorts, hotels, and restaurants in Iloilo City is not that big as the accommodation sector here has yet to report any cancellation.
“We are not yet experiencing that amount of cancellations. The cancellations remained minimal maybe due to canceled flights, or due to canceled regular travelers,” said Happy Abenir, spokesperson of the Iloilo Hotels Resorts and Restaurants Association (IHRRA) on Tuesday.
In a phone interview, she said the cancellation can be about 10 percent or even less.
Unlike Boracay that caters international tourists, she said the minimal cancellation is attributed to the fact that Iloilo is more on local tourists and guests who are here to do business.
She added that since the second quarter of 2019, the concentration of guests in Iloilo was based on events.
“We have something for everybody; it’s not only for tourism but for business. Travelers come to Iloilo for business, for investment, for opportunities, and then they check the place out. That’s one of the successes of our tourism program,” she said.
Abenir said IHRRA has been closely coordinating with various government agencies like the Department of Health (DOH) and the city government.
She said that as protocol, any establishments with guests showing signs and symptoms of the coronavirus must call the DOH or the City Health Office.
A medical team of doctors and nurses will be sent to the establishment to check, monitor, and make the recommendation for the suspected case. (PNA)
