THE Department of Tourism (DOT) in Western Visayas has remained optimistic to hit its tourist arrival target for 2018 amid the recent six-month closure of Boracay Island, the region's major tourism contributor, its top official said.
DOT Western Visayas Director Helen Catalbas, at the sidelines of the Food and Travel festival at Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City on Wednesday, December 19, said though they have yet to consolidate the reports from the provinces by the end of the year, and they are looking to hit the target tourist arrival of at least 5.8 million.
Catalbas said despite the huge tourist arrival decline during the temporary closure of Boracay Island in Aklan, the region was able to "recover" through other destinations.
"We have other attractive destinations in the region. They are all increasing in terms of tourist arrivals," she said, adding that one of the major contributors is Negros Occidental.
The six-month shutdown of the island-destination, which started from April to October, is the government's measure to give way for the rehabilitation of the area once considered by President Rodrigo Duterte as a cesspool.
The regional line agency earlier said that amid its closure, other provinces in Western Visayas need to increase their tourist arrival by a total of at least 1.2 million this year to compensate for the losses.
Data obtained earlier by SunStar Bacolod showed that a total of over 5.8 million tourists were catered by the region in 2017. It is higher than the target tourist arrival of only 5.5 million.
From the target of 5.8 million this year, the agency is working on increasing the figure to 6.1 million in 2019.
For Negros Occidental alone, including its capital Bacolod City, the tourist arrival surged to over 1.72 million last year, higher by seven percent than the 1.61 million in 2016.
The final report of the Negros Occidental Tourism Division reported that the province catered to 1,609,066 domestic guests, 114,686 foreign tourists, and 381 overseas Filipinos in 2017.
In 2016, the province received 1,510,161 domestic tourists, 103,042 foreign visitors and 1,117 overseas Filipinos.