AGI rides tourism boom
The continued tourism boom in the country has encouraged Alliance Global Group Inc. (AGI) to level up its hospitality expansion beyond 12,000 hotel room keys by 2028.
Although he did not stipulate by exactly how much they would increase their target, AGI president and CEO Kevin Tan on Wednesday said they had planned to launch more “tourism-focused” hotel projects.
“We want to continue to invest in tourism,” Tan said. “We’re looking now to launch more hotel projects to support the government’s thrust for tourism.”
The Department of Tourism wants to see 7.7 million tourist arrivals this year, or 41 percent above last year’s total. As of August, the Philippines has welcomed 3.7 million foreigners.
AGI’s new goal means it will have to increase its number of hotel room keys by 5,000 from 7,000 currently, half of which come from Newport World Resorts, its flagship entertainment complex in Pasay City.
Hotel operator Megaworld Hotels and Resorts also opened in Parañaque in July the 1,530-room Grand Westside Hotel, which the company claims to be the country’s largest hotel.
According to Tan, they are constructing eight more hotels with a combined key count of about 4,000.
This comes after the CEO confirmed reports that AGI, through hospitality arm Travelers International Hotel Group Inc. (THGI), will spend $400 million to develop a new casino complex—including a five-star hotel—in Cebu province.
Mactan World Resorts, which was formally announced to the public during the Inside Asian Gaming Academy Summit on Wednesday, will stand within AGI’s 30-hectare Mactan Newtown township in Lapu-Lapu City.
Construction has yet to begin, as THGI has not yet received its gaming license from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
It is slated for completion in 2026 and will feature a gaming area on two floors, food-and-beverage outlet stores, villas, and a beachfront.
Apart from hotels, Tan said they would also ramp up construction of MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) facilities to allow the country to host more conventions.
Megaworld in April announced its upcoming Mactan Expo Center—right across Mactan World Resorts—that may be the venue for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in 2026. The large-scale regional summit will be hosted by the Philippines.
The P1.5-billion project is scheduled for completion next year.
