As the country boasts of pristine beaches and rugged mountains, along with a culture that warmly welcomes visitors, Filipinos are now traveling more to diverse destinations that give hospitality companies plenty of room to build products for different kinds of trips and travelers.
For Mariana Zobel de Ayala, senior vice president and group head of Leasing and Hospitality at Ayala Land Inc., the bigger challenge lies on turning those strengths into more economic activity.
“I really feel we have a right to win in tourism,” she said. That confidence is driving Ayala Land’s hospitality push prompts Zobel de Ayala to see growth more than simply adding hotels. She is looking at where travelers are going, how they spend their time, which price points remain underserved and what brands can meet those needs. In the long term, she is even considering exporting Filipino hospitality.
Zobel de Ayala believes the country’s advantage begins with Filipinos themselves.
“We have naturally hospitable people, so even without training, even without the upskilling, it’s in our nature to host and welcome people,” she explained.
She sees something unusually Filipino in the enthusiasm with which people receive foreign visitors, an openness that gives the country a strong service culture even before formal hospitality training enters the picture.
The Philippines already has much of what it needs: strong destinations and a culture known for welcoming visitors. The challenge now is to give those strengths the scale, investment, infrastructure and hospitality products they deserve, and Ayala Land is ready to help make that happen.
