Pomp and gaiety welcomed 2,275 tourists in Boracay island resort on their arrival Saturday morning on board cruise ship Legend of the Seas from Xiamen, China.
The huge visitor arrival, which ushered in the celebration of Philippines’ Tourism Week, marked the first trip of an international cruise since the Duterte administration took office July 1st.
Department of Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said the success of the event was brought about by the shared efforts of stakeholders, including the tour organizers, DoT Regional Office-6, and the municipal administration of Malay, Aklan.
“This event goes to show that our country remains a safe place to visit despite travel warnings,” Teo said.
She said Chinese tourist arrival dropped slightly after the international tribunal ruling on West Philippine Sea but it soon recovered and has grown in recent weeks.
It shows a 64-percent increase, from 257,014 in the January-July period last year to 422,801 of the same period this year.
DoT officials Assistant Secretary Gwen Javier and Regional Office-6 Director Helen Catalbas were on hand to greet the visitors at the Cagban Jetty Port.
A colorful ati-atihan group performed as local DoT staff handed out handcrafted leis on the tourists, including Chinese professionals, retirees and families with children.
“We are pleased to note that a charter has been initiated by travel trade counterparts in China. This underscores our continuing warm tourism and culture ties amidst the ongoing territorial strife. This augurs well for our industry and as we pursue our National Cruise Tourism Strategy grounded on ports development and rehabilitation,” said Assistant Secretary Javier.
The visitors took a dip into the crystal clear waters, others lay on the white sand beach for hours, and some went sightseeing in nearby Aklan islands.
“We’re so happy to host and accord our visitors from China the best tourism experience in Western Visayas as a world-class tourist destination,” Catalbas said.
The DoT Region 6 chief disclosed that two more Royal Caribbean cruise ships are due to arrive in October and November.
Next to Koreans, the Chinese comprise the biggest tourist market of Region 6.
At least 183,708 Chinese visited Western Visayas, mainly Boracay last year while Koreans numbered 331,269, according to the DoT.
