THE redeployment of flights to be implemented by Cebu Pacific (CEB) is seen to help enable Bacolod City hit its target increase of 200,000 more tourists this year.
The airline earlier announced that it will redeploy some of its flights between Aklan and other destinations amid the looming closure of Boracay Island on April 26.
This is the CEB's measure to trim down to up to P150 million its projected opportunity losses during the six-month closure of Boracay, the top tourist destination of Western Visayas.
The redeployment will result in four additional flights daily, or a maximum of 28 flights more a week, between Manila and Bacolod.
From the current 72 flights between Bacolod and other destinations including Manila, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao, it will now be up to 100 flights weekly.
Ma. Elma Gerasmo, city tourism officer, told SunStar Bacolod that the “rerouting” of flights will surely impact positively the tourism industry of Negros Occidental especially its capital Bacolod City.
Gerasmo said additional flights would create more tourism traffic going to Bacolod, which is a gateway to other destinations in the province.
“As Western Visayas may lose 1.2 million tourists due to six-month Boracay closure, we are given the target to increase our arrivals by at least 200,000," she said, adding that "the city is prepared to cater to this additional number of guests,” said Gerasmo.
Since the province also has many destinations to offer especially like those of beach resorts in Boracay Island, Gerasmo said Negros Occidental is ready for this development.
“With Bacolod City as a commercial hub, tourists would really stay here so the hotels are the ones to greatly benefit,” the tourism official added.
City Tourism Office records showed that there are currently about 70 tourism accommodation establishments.
These facilities including hotels, resorts, pensions, inns, and dormitories can cater to 5,950 guests per day, it added.
In order to hurdle the 1.2 million additional tourist arrivals, Negros Occidental also needs to cater to 200,000 more tourists.
Iloilo Province and its capital Iloilo City, including Guimaras will also have a share of 400,000 additional tourists.
Other components including mainland Aklan, Antique and Capiz will hurdle the remaining 400,000 arrivals.
Helen Catalbas, regional director of the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Western Visayas, earlier said they are optimistic that other provincial destinations will compensate such possible reduction in a number of visiting tourists brought by Boracay mess.
Amid the closure, the regional line agency is confident to still get a lot more tourists on a regional picture, Catalbas said, adding that Boracay is such a huge contributor in Western Visayas tourism, but its closure will hardly make a dent on the region’s total industry scene.
For Bacolod City, Gerasmo said they also see no problem in terms of reaching the target arrival increase given that the city is also a destination for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice).
Through conventions and trade fairs, a lot of tourists are coming here especially local, she said.
As the city expects the influx of more tourists brought by more flights, Gerasmo urged tourism establishments and their respective frontline personnel to “maintain standards and always wear the engaging Bacolodnon smile, respectively.”