Long Holiday Break Boosts Boracay Tourist Arrivals

Kalibo, Aklan (PIA6) — The long holiday break proved favorable for Boracay as visitors,both foreign and local, came in droves to spend the Christmas holidays there.

In a radio interview over a local radio station here, Felix delos Santos of Malay Tourism Office said the number of tourists who visited the island doubled during the long Christmas break, causing the beach front to be overcrowded.

Arrivals are seen to swell further with the coming of the New Year as many tourists, both foreign and local flock to the island to witness the year-end celebration there.

De los Santos said tourist arrivals in the island were affected by the travel ban issued by China to its people which rendered cancellations of hotel bookings in the island and the threat caused by Typhoon Ruby, nevertheless, from January up to the first two weeks of December, visitor arrivals have already reached the 1.4 million mark.

The province of Aklan is targeting 1.5 tourist arrivals this year.

Leading in the list of foreign tourist arrivals in the island for the period, according to De los Santos, are the South Koreans followed by the Chinese and the Taiwanese nationals. (JCM/VGV PIA6 Aklan)