Tourism boom won’t increase resort rates

By Jennelyn Mondejar

ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan — The city tourism office here assured tourists last week there will be no room rate hike in the city’s resort-hotels amid the expected influx of tourists at the famous Hundred Islands at the start of the year.

Miguel Sison, city tourism office chief, said room rates along the Lucap area where the tourist spot is located, are controlled by ceiling prices and no resort-hotel can charge fees or rates more than what is prescribed.

He said rates are reasonable and there is an abundance of transient or budget homes which he said are good substitutes for hotels.

“The rates vary depending on the facility of the resort or the transient home,” Sison said.

There are about 30 resort hotels in the city near the central business district and in the Lucap area. Hotel room rates range from P1,600 to P3,500 a day.

Transient homes or budget homes are more like houses complete with air-conditioned bedrooms, comfort rooms and kitchen and can accommodate at least 10 people.

Daily rates range from P4,000 to P5,000 or P300 per head for some.

Sison said based on their experience, the resorts and transient homes get fully booked during the peak season from January until summer.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard and the city tourism office here are intensifying measures for the safety of the local and international tourists due to the changing weather condition.

The Coast Guard said they are continuously monitoring motorized boats at the Hundred Islands National Park to prevent any untoward incidents like drowning especially when the current is strong.