During the ceremonial launch of the Grand Westside Hotel graced by President Marcos late Saturday, Alliance Global CEO Kevin Tan also emphasized the groups’s renewed focus on boosting Philippine tourism as one of the company’s main thrusts.
“We believe in the government's thrust to promote tourism,” he said in his speech. “we believe that it is possible to bring in about 10 or 20 million tourists in the country every year, similar to our ASEAN neighbors.”
In particular, Tan said the company will do its share to achieve this milestone through its support for performing arts and entertainment.
He said the Alliance Global Group — already the country's largest hotel operator with over 7,500 rooms at present — plans to double this portfolio within the next five years, adding to its current portfolio of investments in key tourism destinations such as Boracay, Cebu, Batangas, and Palawan.
Tan noted that this renewed thrust will be anchored on the new Grand Westside Hotel in Entertainment City in Parañaque, which will have 1,530 rooms in total, beating the 993 rooms of the neighboring Okada Manila casino resort development.
The new hotel will soon be connected via a bridgeway to the Westside resort complex across J. W. Diokno Boulevard. This entertainment hub will host four theaters, including a Grand Opera House with a 2,000-seat capacity.
Tan said Alliance Global is also focused on serving the growing market for “MICE” (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) by putting up major convention centers in Newport City, Boracay, and Cebu.
Additionally, the newly established Academy for Leisure and Tourism aims to equip the next generation of Filipino hospitality workers which are in high demand globally, he said.
