Nestled in the unspoiled island of Camiguin in southern Philippines is a quaint tropical resort named Bahay Bakasyunan sa Camiguin. This resort, surrounded by stunning seascapes and lush greenery, offers a perfect refuge away from the noise and chaos of the metropolis.

Apart from its enchanting natural beauty, what makes this resort successful amid the increasingly more sophisticated hospitality industry is the persistency of its management to embrace technological innovations in its operations.

The current owners of Bahay Bakasyunan sa Camiguin were once captivated by its charm during their stay in the resort as guests. Suzette Good, who lives in Palm Spring – a city in California deemed as “the playground of the stars” – said that she, together with her husband, Al Good, fell in love in the place. The latter decided to buy the resort, and, fortunately, acquired it in 2009.

“It was once a dream to have this place for vacation. I dreamt of having a place for the stars,” Mrs. Good said. “I imagined myself to own a place where the stars spend their vacation and that’s [happened to be the] Bahay Bakasyunan sa Camiguin.”

When Mr. and Mrs. Good entered as the resort’s new owners, things didn’t come so easy. They had to address some challenges, including the traditional way of how the business was run.

“When we bought Bahay Bakasyunan sa Camiguin, all I can see is the ‘non-computer world’ where they don’t use point-of-sale system and so on,” Mrs. Good shared. “So we needed to drive the business and start to invest into computers. We needed to innovate and compete with the market.”

The owners faced more challenges along their way; there was even a time when the business suffered from a big loss. But that doesn’t have to stop there, according to Ms. Good, noting that there are 50 employees who depend on the resort to earn a living. In this challenging time, the management took the risk to invest their last finances in marketing and technology, which resulted in the rise of the resort’s occupancy rate this year.

“I take challenges in a positive way. There are lots of downfalls with the business but we just need to resist it all. It’s a measure of how tough your decision making is,” Mrs. Good said.

Technology and Internet have a crucial role in the present age of hospitality industry, according to Mrs. Good. In Bahay Bakasyunan sa Camiguin, in particular, technology plays a big part to boost the resort’s marketing initiatives, as well as reaching its potential market through social media, e-mails, and instant messaging.

“To add, we based our decision making in our reports, and technology-filtered all our data. Technology helps the business in so many ways, like inquiry of the guest/s in our Web site, booking, payment, etc. All work smoothly. And with Globe Internet connectivity, it’s simply perfect,” Mrs. Good said.

Five years from now, Mrs. Good is optimistic that Bahay Bakasyunan sa Camiguin will be the top resort by choice and the first to be rated with 5-star in the entire island of Camiguin.

Globe myBusiness, in partnership with Department of Trade and Industry, salutes our Filipino SMEs for their job well done. It honors every entrepreneur whose determination and passion has become the backbone of the Philippine economy. #SaludoSMEs for your hard work and contribution for a more wonderful ‘Pinas!

For more information, visit https://mybusiness.globe.com.ph.

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