Wednesday, March 21, 2007

DOT: Boracay still RP’s No. 1

Jeehan V. Fernandez

BORACAY Island is still unbeatable.

This was the assessment of the Department of Tourism (DOT) regional office on the world-famous island resort which remains as the country’s top tourist magnet.

DOT-6 regional director Edwin Trompeta was asked to compare Boracay to other attractions in Bohol and Cebu since the government is boasting the Visayas region as the tourism hub of the country.

“The number of rooms and investments can speak well for Boracay as a tourism haven,” stressed Trompeta.

The DOT chief was referring to five star hotels such as the newly-opened Shangrila and Boracay Discovery Shore.Trompeta boasts of 3,600 hotel rooms, 65 flights daily and eight roll-on roll-off (RoRo) transport services bound for Boracay.

Trompeta said Boracay’s tourism industry will peak during the Holy Week April 6-7 while incoming flights are expected to hit 75 a day.

The introduced direct international flights to Kalibo Airport will also translate to 350 additional tourists.

“There are so many things happening there with bands, concerts and bars full-packed. Holy Week is something everybody is anticipating in the island. It is really going to be crowded and noisy,” Trompeta said.

Trompeta also cited the 24/7 security operations implemented by police and other law enforcers in Boracay in the island which is a vital factor for the tourism industry.

Trompeta said they are expecting around 15,000 to 18,000 tourists to swarm Boracay this Holy Week.He recalled that Boracay’s Holy Week rush even hit 29,000 visitors several years ago.

Domestic tourists account for 80 percent of the arrivals during the Lenten season.

Boracay’s peak season, which starts in September, accommodate 70 percent domestic visitors and 30 percent of foreign travelers.

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