By WENDY ATUBAN
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Local businessmen in the city look forward to the annual flower festival to reverse considerable financial losses incurred after the two disastrous typhoons that recently hit the city, an official said on Tuesday during a media briefing.

After city tourism promotions projects backed out on the typhoons’ aftermath, the private sector claims to have lost up to 100 milion and has not yet recovered, said Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio Chairman and Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. Executive Chairman Anthony de Leon at the same time adding that, “Baguio is on the road to recovery in terms of tourism.”
Local businesmen lost 100 million between October to November, said de Leon.

However, in the first few days of the Christmas season, the hotels are enjoying 90-95% occupancy, he added. From Dec 26 to January 3 occupancy of hotels is expected to hit 100%.

The famous Panagbenga flower festival of the city held every February is a big tourist attraction. That’s why the private sector is banking on that to reverse the financial setback incurred this year and to yield full recovery for the tourism industry.

The coming year’s flower festival is expected to yield hundred billion profit for the private sector. This, said de Leon, is “timely because we (private sector) need this type of promotion to reverse the setback from the past months.”
2010’s Panagbenga is being propped up to the full this early. # nordis.net