BACOLOD CITY, Sept. 24 (PNA) — The City Tourism Office here said accommodation facilities around Bacolod are already fully-booked for the 2015 MassKara Festival next month.
Chief Tourism Operations Officer Ma. Elma Gerasmo said as of September 21, only a few establishments have available rooms, but very minimal and insufficient to cater to possible influx of visitors during the festivity set from Oct. 1-19.
Bacolod has 69 accommodation facilities with 5,950 maximum room capacity. These include 24 hotels, including one first class, 16 standard, and seven economy class; 15 tourist inns; 21 pension houses; six resorts; and three apartelles.
Gerasmo said as early as November last year, a number of tourists have already booked accommodations for this year’s celebration.
The influx of advance bookings has been recorded starting July, and by September, most tourists already have a hard time looking for available hotels and other accommodation establishments.
Moreover, the City Tourism Office noted that two to three million people come to the city during the MassKara every year based on the estimated number of individuals in streets and in different festival sites.
Gerasmo said the accommodation sector, including food and other services, are acquiring the biggest income during the festival.
Tourist destinations, including those outside Bacolod, also have increasing sales, she added.
Aside from big businesses, the smallest sectors like transportation and micro entrepreneurs are also given the opportunity to earn during the festival, Gerasmo said.(PNA)