PIA Press Release
Tuesday, January 10, 2012Boracay posts 908,875 tourist arrivals in 2011by Venus G. Villanueva KALIBO, Aklan, Jan. 10 (PIA6) -- A total of 908,875 foreign and domestic tourists visited Boracay Island in 2011. In his monthly Governor’s Report to the People program aired over a local radio station here, Governor Carlito S. Marquez said that the number of visitor arrivals in 2011 was 16.57 percent higher than in 2010, an increase of 129,209 tourist arrivals. In 2010, 779,666 visitors were recorded to have visited Boracay Island. Of the arrivals last year, April posted the highest number, with 121,301 visitors, followed by May with 98,279 and December, with 88,615. Tourist arrivals last year were recorded, thus: January, 69,603; February, 67,534; March, 73,666; June, 68,359; July, 65,431; August, 63,438; September, 52,994; October, 71,175 and November, 67,432. Earlier last year in his radio reports, Governor Marquez predicted that the 2011 tourist arrivals could reach 900,000 with the trend of the monthly arrivals. Presently, the provincial government is preparing much needed facilities for the convenience of tourists, domestic or foreign, as it braces for the arrival of 1 million tourists this year or in 2013. December 2011 arrivals, which registered an increase of 34 percent compared with the 2010 figures, generated for the government P1,433,280,164.40 in tourism receipts. Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) here under Airport Manager Percy Malonesio expressed optimism that the additional international flights soon to land at the Kalibo International Airport (KIA) will further increase tourist arrivals in the province, particularly Boracay Island. Malonesio said that in March of this year, Cebu Pacific will have direct flights from Hongkong to KIA. Malonesio also revealed that presently, KIA receives 7 daily flights from South Korea and Taipei, Taiwan. (JSC/VGV-PIA 6 Aklan) |
