In an ambitious move to broaden its gaming and leisure portfolio, Travellers International Hotel Group is reportedly setting its sights on a substantial new venture in Cebu, Philippines Come from Sports betting site VPbet. The project, valued at approximately Php16.9 billion (US$300 million), is poised to fortify its presence across the Philippines.

Travellers International is the developer of Newport World Resorts (formerly Resorts World Manila), the first integrated tourism resort in the Philippines.

Dubbed Mactan World Resorts, the integrated resort (IR) will occupy a prime 30-hectare site within the Mactan Newtown township, currently under development by Megaworld Corp. This strategic location is conveniently situated just 20 minutes from Mactan-Cebu International Airport, enhancing accessibility for international visitors.

Expansion into Cebu: a strategic move:

Local newspaper SunStar Cebu was reportedly the first to unveil details of the proposal, following a presentation to the local government by Travellers’ Executive Director Georgina Alvarez last month. The development plans have garnered significant local support, culminating in a resolution from the local government recommending Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan to issue a certificate of “no objection” to facilitate the project’s progression.

Mactan World Resorts is set to feature an array of facilities including a luxury hotel and casino. The resort is expected to generate substantial economic benefits, with projected real property and business tax contributions amounting to about Php243 million (US$4.3 million) over the ensuing five years.

Alfred Benjamin R. Garcia, an analyst at AP Securities, shared insights with InsiderPH, emphasizing the strategic advantage of the location. He noted, “This could be [Travellers’] chance, since one can say that they were late to the Entertainment City party and it will be tough to grab market share from the existing integrated resorts in Entertainment City.” Garcia highlighted the appeal of Cebu, which attracts 17% of all inbound tourists to the Philippines, ranking second after Manila. He added, “Mactan Newtown’s proximity to the international airport in Mactan could prove to be an advantage in luring in VIPs.”

Travellers’ broad horizons:

As Inside Asian Gaming reports, Kevin Tan, AGI CEO and Chairman of Travellers, elaborated on the company’s expansion strategy in an interview featured on the cover of Inside Asian Gaming’s latest issue. Tan expressed optimism about venturing beyond Metro Manila, citing the competitive nature of existing markets. “I think the opportunity for growth in this sector will be to open outside Metro Manila. I think Metro Manila is quite saturated already and it’s quite competitive. Even Clark is very competitive. But to go beyond that, to build facilities and to build infrastructure in new areas, prime new areas, I think that’s where the opportunity is,” he explained.

Cebu is already home to the NUSTAR Resort & Casino, and PH Resorts Group, led by Dennis Uy, is actively seeking funding to complete its Emerald Bay project, adding to the competitive casino landscape in the region.