Tourist arrivals in Western Visayas up by 109 pct

The number of tourists who visited Western Visayas went up by 109 percent last year, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT-6).

The DOT-6, based on partial data, logged 2,887,767 local and foreign tourists in 2022, higher compared to 1,167, 453 arrivals in 2021.

The visitor count last year translates to more than P37 billion in tourism revenue.

The province of Aklan, where Boracay Island is located, accounted for majority or 61 percent (1,759, 592) of the 2022‘s tourist arrivals.

Bacolod City recorded the second-highest in the region with 547,583 arrivals (19 percent) last year, followed by Iloilo City (144, 571), Iloilo province (131, 310) Negros Occidental (117,766), Guimaras (88,852), Capiz (68, 168), and Antique (30,025).

The DOT-6 attributed the increase in the region’s tourist arrivals to the easement of travel restrictions, reopening of tourism sites, resumption of international flight operations in the towns of Kalibo and Caticlan, Aklan and the opening of more domestic flights.IMT