Boracay Island’s mid-year tourist arrivals hit 0.4-M; P7.3 billion in receipts

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Tourists who flocked to this country’s prime tourist destination – Boracay Island, numbered 400,037 from January to July of this year, according to the records of the Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) here.

Records of the PTO also revealed that the arrivals generated a total of P7,354,040,185.80 in tourism receipts.

For the period January to July of this year, foreign tourists totaled 111,736 while domestic tourists were counted at 246,378. Overseas Filipinos, who also visited the island during the same period numbered 41,923.

Foreign tourist arrivals for the period registered highest during the month of February while domestic tourists had the highest number with 66,846 in the month of April. Overseas Filipinos flocked to the island with the highest number in February.

Tourist arrivals this year for the period January to July is higher when compared with PTO records last year, which was listed at 387,288. Last year’s total number in tourist arrivals was at P596,748 which generated a total of P10,970,257,183.20 tourism receipts.

The on-going improvement of Kalibo Airport here, now an international gateway catering to international flights from South Korea and Taiwan is seen to further boost Boracay’s tourists arrivals.

Presently, the airport terminal for incoming international flights is under construction and will soon be finished in six months’ time, according to Kalibo Airport Manager Percy Malonesio.

Malonesio said that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited Aklan July 1 and 2 of this year to distribute relief goods to typhoon victims and to see the situation in Aklan, he was asked by the President of the project’s time frame.

The national government under PGMA’s administration gave P50 million to start the project, and additional fund in millions to complete it.