Holy Week tourist arrivals in Boracay up

BORACAY – Almost 55,000 tourists flocked to this island resort during the Holy Week.

Most of them (65 percent) were local tourists, according to the Municipal Tourism Office of Malay, Aklan.

Overall the 54,887 Holy Week tourist arrivals this year were 23-percent higher than the figure in the same period last year.

Local tourists rose 30 percent in number, to 34,513 f rom 26,513, municipal tourism office data showed.

Chief Tourism Operations Officer Felix Delos Santos Jr. credited the increase in the number of local tourists to the “early dates of closing ceremonies and graduation rites of colleges and universities.” “They chose to celebrate

al here in Boracay Island. We offer families the opportunity to spend the Holy Week in a family tourist destination,” said Delos Santos.

Majority of the tourists arrived on Maundy Thursday (13,575). Holy Wednesday had 8,368; Good Friday, 6,815; and Holy Monday, 6,752 arrivals.

Black Saturday had 6,677 arrivals; Holy Tuesday, 6,611; and Easter Sunday, 6,089, tourism office figures showed.

Foreigner arrivals from April 10 to 16 were up 12 percent to 17,453 from 19,490 during last year’s Holy Week.

Increased regional flights from neighboring countries that attracted large numbers of Chinese and Korean tourists were also credited for the rise in arrivals.

During the 2016 Holy Week from March 21 to 27, a total of 44,786 tourists — including 17,453 foreigners and 820 overseas Filipinos — stayed in Boracay.

Most of them arrived in the island on Maundy Thursday (11,096) and Holy Wednesday ( 6,396). ( Journal/ PN)

With Aklan Forum