Samal Island Resorts Double in Numbers

So it’s not really my imagination. The number of  Samal Island resorts has increased dramatically in the last few years. As recently as 2007 there were only about 20 resorts on Samal. Today there are upwards of 40 or so. And as you know if you been reading here, there are more on the way.

If this article is to be believed, tourism has not dropped off any due to the global financial situation, either. Samal Island Davao Resort Owners Association (SIDROA) claims membership is up dramatically do to the upswing.

The group has about 40 member resorts from the Triple A to the uncategorized. Of the number about 25 resort-members are active in Sidroa. Together they are pushing for the region to position and promote itself, particularly as an island destination.

As I’m interested in not only living on Samal, but possibly running a small business some day, I’d be interested in learning where these tourist come from. I’d like to find the statistics that break down the percentages of visitors from each country. One of the reasons I’d like this information is to determine if one of the ideas I have would be desirable to this group. If the majority of them are Asian, and I’m guessing they are, then possibly it’s not a good fit.

Of course the make up of these tourists could change over time as the larger resorts now being built get completed. Samal Island could potentially become a major tourist destination, at least that’s the hope of some for the island. Then again the saturation of so many resorts could cause closure of many of them, especially if that bridge never gets built.

I’d have to say that if all these resorts are really doing well during these times then the economic outlook for Samal seems VERY bright from where I stand.

via Igacos resort boom marks tourism sector’s resiliency – Philippine Information Agency.