Tourism in Western Visayas generates P70B in 2023

ILOILO CITY—More tourists have visited Western Visayas last year, bringing millions of visitors to key destinations in the region that include the world-famous Boracay Island in Aklan.

Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed that Western Visayas generated some P70 billion in revenue from the 5.36 million in tourist arrivals in 2023.

This represents a 22.9-percent increase from the 4.36 million arrivals in 2022, highlighting the region’s robust recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and growth in the tourism sector.

Aklan province, including Boracay Island, led with 2.2 million arrivals, contributing P44.43 billion to the total revenue. Iloilo City followed with 886,283 visitors, generating P8.29 billion.

Bacolod City saw 780,916 arrivals, producing P7.1 billion in income, while Negros Occidental recorded 694,015 visitors, adding P6.22 billion to the revenue pool.

The other provinces in the region also saw significant tourist arrivals: Antique hosted 149,509 tourists, generating P564.89 million; Capiz welcomed 196,844 visitors with receipts totaling P689.32 million; and the island of Guimaras recorded 133,818 tourists, who contributed P427.57 million to the local economy.

Future plans

The tourism figures generated last year by Negros Occidental and Bacolod City were included since it is only this year that the province and its politically independent capital have been separated from Western Visayas and now belonged to the newly formed Negros Island Region (NIR), along with Negros Oriental and Siquijor, which used to be part of Central Visayas.

President Marcos on June 13 signed Republic Act No. 12000 which establishes the NIR, now the 18th region of the country.

Western Visayas is now only composed of Iloilo, Aklan, Capiz, Antique and Guimaras.

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The DOT has projected around 5.6 million visitors in Western Visayas in 2024, a 5-percent increase. As of July 7, data showed over 1.3 million arrivals with an income of more than P23 billion.

However, the region’s tourism stakeholders led by DOT-Western Visayas chief Marlene Rodriguez were bracing for significant changes in its tourism industry following the separation of Negros Occidental and Bacolod City, which accounted for some 1.4 million tourist arrivals last year.

Phoebe Zelie Areño, the region’ assistant tourism director, had said that enhanced destination accessibility, airline promotions and improved road connectivity contributed to the rise in the number of tourists in the region last year.

Areño highlighted the ongoing development of destinations and campaigns to entice more visitors, guided by the National Tourism Development Plan for 2023 to 2028. The plan includes implementation of key policies and initiatives to build infrastructure, foster investments and encourage public-private partnerships. INQ