BORACAY EXPECTED TO POST HIGHER REVENUES
ILOILO CITY – Around P13 billion in tourism receipts will be generated from tourists flocking the island resort of Boracay in Aklan province this year, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Western Visayas.
Edwin Trompeta, DOT regional director, said this year’s estimates is higher than the P11 billion spent by some 640,000 tourists in Boracay Island last year.
“Despite the global economic crisis, we are projecting a 10% increase in tourism receipts in Boracay this year. We based this estimate on the increase in tourist arrivals in the island in the first two months of this year. The prospects in Boracay are very bright,” Mr. Trompeta said.
DOT data showed that 99,939 tourists went to Boracay in January-February 2009 compared to 96,085 arrivals for the same months last year, or an increase of 4.01%.
The biggest contingent of foreign tourists who went to Boracay Island during the 2 previous months is still the Koreans with a total of 11,174 followed by the Chinese with 7,719, Taiwanese -2,987, and Americans-2,864.
Tourists from Hong Kong totaled 1,608; Australia-1,186; Germany-1,154, and United Kingdom-1,113.
The total receipts generated by the tourists in the island resorted amounted to P1,837,218.612.60 for the first two months of 2009.
“This year, we expect to surpass tourist arrivals and revenues generated in the first quarter of 2008 especially that some 40,000 tourists are expected to flock Boracay this Holy Week,” Mr. Trompeta said.
Mr. Trompeta said they are wary of the second and third quarters of the year which is considered the off-peak season in Boracay.
“The department also considers the financial crisis although from the looks of it, the tourism sector is durable and least affected by the crisis,” he added.
The arrival of 280 European travel agents in Boracay through the arrangement made by Meiers Weltreisen, one of the biggest tour consolidators in Europe, is also expected to boost the island’s reputation in the European market.
The travel agents will converge in Boracay on May 3-8 for the 20th Far East Live Seminar (FELS) of Meiers Weltreisen.
Mr. Trompeta said he attended the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Berlin early this year as a member of the negotiating team to bring in FELS in the Philippines.
Singapore also bidded to host FELS but it was beaten by the Philippines and was given the 2010 slot.
A press group from Germany and Austria and travel trade press representatives are also joining the main seminar, Mr. Trompeta said.
The FELS is the biggest incentive and educational event organized by Meier’s Weltreisen for travel agents and counter staff from 220 top selling travel agencies in Germany and Austria. The purpose of the seminar is to provide basic and advanced training for all staff who are actively involved in selling holidays and tourist travel.
Mr. Trompeta said FELS would be beneficial to Boracay and the Philippine tourism industry.
“Countries that host FELS benefits immensely from the event. For example in Vietnam, which hosted FELS in 2006, tourist arrivals went up by 40%. Bookings in Khao Lak, Thailand also doubled after hosting FELS in 2007,” Mr. Trompeta said.
Meiers will spend P15 million for the seminar to be held in Shangri-La Boracay.
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