City's tourist arrivals down by 3.6% in Q2

TOURIST arrivals in Davao City for the second quarter of 2017 decreased by 3.6 percent (%) to 473,735 from 491,407 in the same period last year.

According to the data provided by the Davao City Investment and Promotions Center (DCIPC), there is a 10.86% increase for the foreign tourist arrivals as there had been a recorded 34,604 tourists for the second quarter of the year compared to only 31,215 second quarter last year.

The domestic tourists figure was the one primarily causing the total decline with a recorded 5.99% decrease to 427,086 this year from 454,315 last year.

“The reason is Martial Law. We had a significant decrease June of this year at 17 percent compared to the same month this year. We have shifted our campaign to attract visitors and meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) activities from neighboring places in Mindanao and Visayas. Also, that is why we are also asking all Dabawenyos to help by asking their friends and family to come and visit. This is not just one industry’s challenge, this is our, as Dabawenyo’s what we have to face and overcome together,” said City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) head Generose Tecson.

However, there was a 104.95% increase for the number of Filipinos who came home or the balikbayans for the second quarter of the year.

From only 5,877 balikbayan during the second quarter of 2016, the number had increased to 12,045 in the same period this year.

Now, with the Kadayawan Festival is fast approaching, at least 85 percent of the hotel rooms in the city are already fully booked while the CTOO continues to invite people from neighboring provinces and regions in the country. JPA