By BOY RYAN ZABAL
BORACAY — With thousands of tourists flocking to Boracay every day, the island resort is on track toward reaching its 1.5-million tourist arrival target this year.
Tourist arrivals registered 1,033,335 from January 1 to August 21 this year, compared to 987,253 in the same period last year.
Tourists numbered 83,371 from August 1 to 21 alone — 27,314 domestic and 51,715 foreign — said Niven Maquirang, Caticlan jetty port administrator.
Travelers here numbered 3,000 to 4,000 daily, Maquirang claimed.
Most of the foreign arrivals were from China, Korea and Taiwan.
Officials attributed the growth in arrivals to affordable chartered flights and new routes from Asian countries to Kalibo International Airport.
Last year, tourist arrivals reached 1,363,601 — 615,508 foreign and 748,093 domestic.
December had 111,949 tourist arrivals; October, 100,968; November, 77,027; and September, 86,404, data from the Department of Tourism showed.
Boracay is also an emerging cruise destination in Asia.
Thousands of passengers aboard luxurious ships have already explored the island resort so far this year.
Two more international cruise ships will make port calls in Boracay this year: one on Nov. 6, another on Dec. 30, Maquirang said.
He revealed that about 12 to 15 foreign cruise ships will visit the island next year. (Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
