9-degree chill lures tourists to Baguio

Saturday, January 8, 2011

NEWS about the dipping temperature in Baguio City continues to attract tourists even after the holidays, said a tourism official.

Tourism Regional Director Purificacion Molintas said the tourists stay for a day "just to experience" the cool mountain breeze.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

The coldest so far recorded in Baguio was 9.6 degrees centigrade. This is almost six degrees cooler than the lowest so far recorded in Metro Manila of 15 degrees centigrade.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration predicted the mercury to dip further until the second week of February.

Molintas said that unlike the Baguio folk who wear thick jackets, tourists wear shorts and sleeveless shirts to actually experience how it feels when the temperature is at an average of 9.6 to 12 degrees centigrade.

With the tourist arrivals, she said hotels in the city have been enjoying an 88 percent occupancy rate lately.

Molintas said her office still has to receive data on the occupancy rate of transient houses, and even households that accommodate guests not from Baguio.

She said partnership with other tourist destinations could further boost tourism. She added the Department of Tourism (DOT) is pushing for sisterhood ties with La Union to strengthen the tourism industry of both areas.

This partnership, she said, could also help sustain the number of passengers flying to La Union and possibly come up to Baguio.

Molintas reiterated that having an airport and an airline regularly ferrying passengers will sustain the number of passengers visiting the north.

Zest Air flies the Manila-La Union route three times a week. Its passengers are mostly overseas contract workers and Koreans.

Molintas said tourism in the north is expected to get another boost when the Lallo airport in Cagayan Valley is completed. (Rimaliza Opiña)