In support of the local tourism industry’s growth, SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC) is eyeing to open 1,700 new hotel rooms in the next four years.

SM Hotels is adding over 1,400 hotel rooms in the growth areas of Cauayan City, Isabela; Laguna; Cebu South Road Properties; Dasmariñas, Cavite; Laoag City; Olongapo Central and Clark, Pampanga. Around 300 rooms will be added in Metro Manila for a combined count of 1,700 rooms for both NCR and the provinces by 2028.

“We are ready to support the growth in tourism as we move even closer to emerging regions to provide Filipinos and foreign travelers alike with quality accommodation. Our hotel expansion contributes to the development of local economies, further creating jobs and boosting tourism and local growth through the increased demand for services and local products,” SMHCC executive vice president Peggy Angeles said.

The expansion is poised to generate many livelihood opportunities, directly and indirectly benefiting local communities. These include architects, engineers, construction workers and other skilled workers. There are also positions in hotel and convention centers from front desk associates, and housekeeping to chefs, security officers and administrative-related jobs.

For indirect employment opportunities, the SM group relies on the partnerships of local players and suppliers for food, beverages and other goods to better serve the communities.

Depending on the project’s scale, a larger scale development for direct and indirect livelihood opportunities can generate 150-200 full-time roles per project.

SM Hotels recently launched Lanson Place, Mall of Asia. This expands SM Hotel’s current footprint to 10 hotels and over 2,601 rooms, six conventions centers, and two trade halls with over 42,000 sqm of leasable space as of end-2023.

SM Hotels also expressed optimism in the potential growth outlook of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) in the Philippines. In March earlier this year, SMX Convention Center Manila was named the Philippines’ Best Convention Center in the recently concluded World MICE Awards.

Anchored on its Seven Green Goals (7Gs), SM Hotels consciously directs its efforts to support the communities where it operates. These goals are based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), which cover Consumption, Diversion, Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG), Sustainable Tourism, Water, Diversity and Equal Opportunity.

One of SM Hotels’ recent projects, Tela Tales, teaches underserved members of its communities to convert used linens from its hotels into beautiful handwoven bags. This comes on top of ensuring at least 60 percent of employees in any SM Hotels property are local residents of the community.

In addition, the company also prioritizes locally sourced products to have its food and beverage suppliers in support of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) where it operates. Wherever possible, SM Hotels partners and supports the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) program of SM Foundation, Inc.

“Guided by our 7Gs, SM Hotels is dedicated to uplift the communities it serves. We strive to create livelihood opportunities in the areas where we operate to strengthen local partnerships and foster inclusive economic growth,” Angeles said.