Boracay’s 6-Month Tourist Arrivals Generates P8.18 B

Boracay Island’s visitor arrivals from January to June 2010 generated P8.18 billion tourism receipts. The records of the Provincial Tourism Operations Office (PTOO), Kalibo, Aklan reported.

The 6-month tourists arrivals reached 444,881 composed of both domestic and foreign visitors, and Overseas Filipinos (OF). April visitors were biggest in number with a total of 101,349 arrivals, composed of 20,483 foreigners, 78,400 domestic and 2,466 OFs. For the six-month period, foreign visitors reached 134,296; domestic, 295,800 and OF, 14,785.

Aklan Governor Carlito S. Marquez, in his latest report aired over a radio station in Kalibo said, tourism receipts for the month of June 2010 is 43 percent higher compared with the same period last year.

The total number of arrivals from January to December last year reached 649,559, which generated a total receipts of P12 billion.

Also noted in the report of the PTOO for this year’s six-month period is the positive growth rate in arrivals. In January 2010, compared with the same month last year, grew by 6 percent; February, 23 percent, March, 30 percent; April, 10 percent, May, 0.50 percent, and June, 43 percent.

The increase in tourist arrivals is seen to have been enhanced by international flights which have regular runs from various foreign destinations landing and taking off at the Kalibo International Airport (KIA).

Presently, KIA receives five international flights daily. Governor Marquez said China Southern Airlines started its operations in June, taking off from Pudong, China four times a week and arriving at the KIA and vice versa.

"The Spirit of Manila also started its operations on June 8 going to Taiwan and Kalibo and vice versa," Marquez said.

Zest Air has regular flights too from Incheon, Korea to KIA and vice versa, while the Philippine Airlines has flight schedules every Wednesday and Sunday from Taipei, Taiwan. On the other hand, China Airlines has flight schedules every Wednesday and Saturday to Taipei, Taiwan. There is also the Mandarin airline.

KIA recently opened its new terminal building which serves both the international and domestic flights passengers. (Venus G. Villanueva) /MP