Travellers Int’l eyes cruise line operation in Phl

MANILA, Philippines - Travellers International Hotel Group Inc., the company behind Resorts World Manila casino and hotel complex, is testing the waters for a cruise line operation in the Philippines.

Genting Hong Kong, part-owner of Travellers Group, will bring in a tourist cruise ship to Manila and Boracay in the fourth quarter, an official said.

“We have a ship arriving in October with Taiwanese (tourists),” said Travellers Group president Kingson Sian.

The cruise ship of Genting Hong Kong, which has a passenger capacity of between 1,500 to 2,000 seating, will visit Taiwan, Manila and Boracay, Sian said.

Cruise ships that sail to world-famous Boracay include Royal Carribean International.

To date, Genting Hong Kong’s fleet of SuperStar Virgo, SuperStar Pisces, SuperStar Aquarius and SuperStar Virgo visit only areas like Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Phuket, Penang, Kaohsiung and Hong Kong.

“We will try it out. If it clicks, it can be a regular thing,” Sian said. Genting Hong Kong is the third-largest cruise line operator in the world.

The problem with the Philippines is its distance from other countries, Sian said.

For instance, sea travel from Hong Kong and Taiwan to the Philippines will require three days.

A three-day wait will bore guests, Sian said, adding that there are also possibilities of rough seas.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is targeting to attract 10 million foreign tourists by 2016 while encouraging investments in hotels and tourism-related infrastructure.

Foreign tourist arrivals jumped 11 percent to 1.27 million in the first quarter of the year, allowing DOT to be on track to attracting 5.5 million tourists this year.

In the Philippines, Genting Hong Kong is a partner of Andrew L. Tan-led Alliance Global Group Inc. for the 12-hectare Resorts World Manila.

Early this month, Travellers Group Inc. decided to defer its P42-billion initial public offering given volatile market conditions. Proceeds of the share sale will finance Phase 2 and 3 of Resorts World Manila.

But Travellers Group will still pursue the $600-million Phase 2 and 3 projects to double Resorts World Manila’s gaming area which is currently composed of more than 300 tables and more than 1,800 slot machines.

Specifically, the hotel and casino operator will complete the 5,000-seat convention center with function rooms in 2014, the Marriott Hotel expansion in 2015, and new hotels Hilton and Sheraton in 2016.

Travellers Group also plans to start operations of the $1.1-billion Resorts World Bayshore along Manila Bay in 2017. The casino complex is located in Entertainment City, a 120-hectare property reclaimed from Manila Bay and is the Philippines’ answer to the Las Vegas, Singapore and Macau gaming hubs.

Resorts World Bayshore will be the last integrated resort complex to start operations in Entertainment City. The three other casino license holders are Bloomberry Resorts Corp. of port magnate Enrique Razon, taipan Henry Sy’s Belle Corp. in partnership with Macau’s Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd., and Japanese gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada.