The island of Boracay is one of the Philippines’ top tourist destinations for both foreign and local tourists.
In 2019, Boracay Island catered to 1,742,459 tourists generating P49.861 billion in tourism income, according to the records obtained from the Provincial Tourism Operations Office (PTOO) in Aklan.
Visitor Numbers to Boracay
During 2019 there were 827,531 foreign tourists and 914,928 domestic tourists making up Boracay Island’s arrivals last year. Compared with the figures from the previous year, there’s an increase of more than 800,000 arrivals in Boracay for 2019. And of the recorded monthly arrivals in 2019, there were 11 positive growth months, and the highest attained was 34% in November 2019.
Removal Of Annual Tourist Targets For Boracay Island
Before 2019, an annual tourist number target was set for Boracay every year. This target was to ensure that tourist numbers did not exceed the level where the natural environment on Boracay Island couldn’t be maintained.
Clean-Up Of Boracay Island
Tourist numbers to Boracay were comparatively low during 2018 due to the island being officially closed for six months. This closure allowed officials to ‘clean-up’ the island by implementing and improving the environmental systems on Boracay. This clean-up included an overhaul of the island’s sewerage system at the cost of 1 billion pesos.
Boracay Still a Tourism Hot Spot
Since it’s closure, Boracay is still an increasingly favorite destination amongst both domestic and foreign tourists. The island is now becoming a popular destination for cruise ships, with more visiting each year.
Boracay is still seen as a safe vacation destination for travelers and remains the Philippines’ number 1 tourist spot.