Tuesday, July 20, 2004 41T tourists visit city in 1st quarter By Jun Feliciano
OVER 41,000 tourists have so far visited Zamboanga during the first quarter of 2004, which is considered "fair enough" considering the travel advisories issued against visits by foreign nationals to the country.
This was the statement made by Maria Joselyn Mendoza Reyes, senior tourism officer of the Department of Tourism (DOT) regional office.
Topping the list of foreign tourists who visited the city are Germans, followed by balikbayans (multi-nationals), and East Asians from Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
Reyes said most of these tourists spend their visit to the city by going to famous beaches, like Sta. Cruz Island, Dakak in Zamboanga del Norte, and the newly discovered waterfalls of Sibugay.
"Despite the so-called advisory travels from their embassies in our country, they want to visit this part of the country," Reyes bared.
In 2001, Reyes revealed that a total of 233,103 foreign visitors were registered compared to 211,217 the following year.
Last year, 218,577 tourists, mostly balikbayans followed by East Asians, North Americans and Europeans visited the region.
She said these foreign visitors, unless they request for bodyguards, travel the region's well-known tourist destinations" feeling secured."
"We feel the peace and order in this part of the country is not that bad as pictured abroad," Reyes said.
She said the current promotion, which has so far attracted a number of both domestic and foreign visitors, is the Fiesta sa Isla de Sta. Cruz.
The event was held three times this year with its last latest held last June 27.
She also mentioned their current "trekking" promotion, which is to trek to possible areas where tourist spots can be explored across the region.
Reyes mentioned certain provinces not advisable at present for tourists to travel and these, she said, are the autonomous provinces that fall under the Armm, including the neighboring island province of Basilan.
"I don't think they are safe to visit these places, unless perhaps they request for bodyguards from the either the PNP or the military," she said.
But she assured that the safety and security of foreign tourists traveling in Zamboanga City and the rest of Zamboanga Peninsula are presently well guaranteed by the authorities amid the perceived threats from the terrorist groups, like the dreaded Abu Sayyaf Kidnap for Ransom bandits.
Reyes revealed that the biggest in flux of foreign tourists in the region is registered during the 3rd and 4th quarter of the year.
"They usually arrive here during this period, especially the month of November and December," Reyes assessed.
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