Tourist arrivals in Boracay at 388,695 for Q1

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Travelers to Boracay Island numbered to 388,695 for the first quarter of 2015, up by 1.36 percent compared to the same period last year. 

Data from the Municipal Tourism Office showed that tourist arrivals from January to March in 2014 registered 383,476.

Visitor arrivals from Korea accounted for 42.66 percent or 84,367 of the total foreigners. Tourism in Boracay attracted 197,756 foreign visitors from January to March, slightly lower by 2 percent from 202,731 arrivals last year.

Chinese tourists reached 24,087 or 12.18 percent followed by Taiwanese with 12,978 arrivals or 6.56 percent during the first quarter this year.

Korean travelers grew by 40.9 percent from 59,909 arrivals last year to 84,367 this year.  However, arrivals from China dropped by 67 percent to 24,087 from 73,121 of the first quarter a year ago. 

For the three-month period, the number of Malaysians increased by 382 percent to 7,574 from 1,574 from the same period in 2014. 

In March alone,  a total of 124,804 tourists visited Boracay. Foreign tourists stood at 53,877, with Korea leading the international travelers with 19,802 arrivals followed by China with 6,260.

Other countries in the top 10 are USA with 8,652; Australia with 6,841; Russia with 5,185; United Kingdom with 4,416; Japan with 3,711; Singapore with 3,546 and Germany with 3,536 for the first three months of 2015.

The latest statistics show that East Asians from Taiwan, China, Japan, Hongkong and Korea had 126,298 arrivals or 63.86 percent of the foreign visitors.  North Americans from Canada, Mexico and USA also registered 11,999 arrivals of 6.06 percent of international visitors.

Domestic tourists also surged by 5.12 percent to 176,225 for the first three months from 167,638 last year. 

The Department of  Tourism (DoT) is optimistic it will reach the target of 1.6 million tourists in Boracay Island by year end.