TOURISM accommodation establishments in Bacolod City are now 90 percent booked for the 37th MassKara Festival next month, records of the City Tourism Office showed.
Ma. Elma Gerasmo, city tourism officer, said yesterday there are 71 accommodation establishments in Bacolod with almost 5,000 rooms.
She added that when contacted the hotels, inns, and pension houses on Monday, most of the managements confirmed that they are already fully-booked.
The 37th MassKara Festival will be held from October 1 to 23, the longest celebration so far.
Gerasmo said most of the visitors booked accommodations from October 1 to 24.
To accommodate more tourists for MassKara Festival, they are planning to facilitate a homestay program in the city, she added.
Gerasmo said that some residents in Bacolod already confirmed that they are willing to open their houses for rent for the MassKara Festival.
Houses that have vacant rooms can accommodate the revelers, she said, adding that the City Tourism Office will assist the visitors in finding vacant rooms.
Gerasmo said that in 2015, the influx of tourists in Bacolod has increased by eight percent.
This year, Malaysian journalists and bloggers will also witness the festival from October 21-24.
Regional Director Helen Catalbas of the Department of Tourism- Western Visayas sought the city’s assistance to accommodate the Malaysian visitors.
Catalbas’s letter stated that “the visit of the foreign media and bloggers is an affirmation of MassKara Festival’s popularity and an excellent opportunity to further promote Bacolod City and the rest of Negros Occidental in Malaysia and the world.”
Gerasmo said they expect more foreign visitors to join the MassKara Festival this year.
The City Tourism Office will also tap the neighboring cities and municipalities to accommodate the MassKara visitors, she added.
