Seeking the sun
“Boracay is ‘breathing’ again, and the beach is now truly everybody’s.
January used to be sunnier on the island of Boracay, with cool breezes, the bluest skies, and barely a drizzle. “The weather has changed,” said Jigs Aguirre, beach butler of almost 16 years at a luxury resort in Station 1, alluding to the more frequent rains.
It’s not just the weather that has changed at the world’s best beach destination. After six months of rehabilitation in 2018 — and then many more when travel became impossible with the Covid-19 pandemic — the island seems to have regained itself.
Boracay is “breathing” again, and the beach is now truly everybody’s. Pre-rehab, the island was bustling with life though not quite all the way in a good way.
Tourism was at a high, but years of mismanagement and abuse had the island sinking or stinking in parts and the water unhealthy enough to get the Duterte government clamping down on tourism.
It took willpower and plenty of work to bring it back to “life.” But for some things to grow, some things had to change.
Gone now are the crowded beachfront pathways where, at the height of summer in years past, one could barely move with tourists ambling along and pausing for pictures or browsing the infinite shops.
The main road is better paved, with sidewalks bricked or cemented. One no longer has to watch every step lest a puddle muddies a foot. E-trikes in bright colors provide safe transport for both tourists and locals. A hop-on, hop-off bus takes visitors around the island.
Party people who missed the nightlife may want to consider adding a food trip to their bar hopping as many new establishments have sprouted, with some of the old favorites sporting fresh looks and menus.
Boracay today is different. It feels like it’s still waking up, stretching. Tourists are back — plenty of Filipino families, Asians and Europeans too. The beach shores are clear of illegal extensions and structures.
What is sad, though, is the sight of the remaining coconut trees looking forlorn with their roots exposed. About two feet of sand has receded over the past decades, and along with it the wide swathe of brilliant white sand for which the island is known.
Still, resorts are looking forward to tourism bouncing back this year. Since the first batch of international travelers landed at Caticlan Airport last 1 December, hopes are high that the country will see international tourism arrivals doubling to about five million this year.
The United Nations World Tourism Organization calls it “pent-up demand,” but more than that, there have been government efforts to open up or ease border restrictions, and to make travel easier for all.
In fact, the Philippine Travel Agencies Association, in a business report recently, considers the possibility of international visitor arrivals in 2023 topping seven million. This projected figure is close to the pre-pandemic Tourism department record of 8.26 million.
The PTAA will hold its yearly travel expo at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City from 3 to 5 February.
While the private sector is finding ways to revitalize travel and tourism in the country, the government under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will need to take the next steps in helping the industry provide better travel experiences to visitors.
Among the recommendations made to the Marcos government is to extend the e-Visa upon arrival to Chinese and Indian nationals and to implement a VAT Refund Scheme for Tourists. The Philippines is said to be “the only major Asian country without such a scheme.”
The weather is fast changing for the tourism sector indeed. May it be sunnier for a long time to come.
“The government under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will need to take the next steps in helping the industry provide better travel experiences to visitors.