Slow day in Boracay | Inquirer News

Boracay welcomed tourists from outside the western Visayas on Thursday, but only a few arrived amid strict health protocols and requirements set by the government for the Malay resort island Aklan to open its doors to more visitors.

“It was like any other day. There are more reporters, including those from Manila, but the number of tourists is almost the same, “a resident told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.

Data from the Malay municipal tourism office showed that 19 tourists, including seven from Metro Manila, arrived on the island at 3 p.m. Thursday. Five are from Aklan.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said that the reopening of Boracay, the Philippines’ top beach destination, to an expanded market signaled the safe and gradual revival of the country’s tourism industry amid the pandemic.

TOURISM PATTERN The resorts, hotels and restaurants on the island of Boracay have established health and safety guidelines as they prepare to welcome more visitors to revive the local economy. The gradual reopening of Boracay is seen as a model in the recovery of the tourism sector that was severely affected by the pandemic. —JACK JAR

Light of hope

In a press conference via Zoom, Puyat described the reopening of the island as “a crucial first step” for the recovery of domestic tourism, which provides the impetus for domestic tourism across the country.

This gives the country’s tourism industry a ray of hope, especially for those who are counting on tourism to survive, he added.

“What could be a better way to announce the revival of Philippine tourism than the reopening of the world-renowned island of Boracay?” she said.

Puyat noted that no cases of COVID-19 were reported in Boracay, but pledged government support to ensure health and safety protocols are in place. The safety and well-being of tourists and residents remain the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) top priority, he said.

A tourist from Iloilo province, who arrived on the island days before Thursday, said that many tourists from Western Visayas had canceled their reservations due to the requirement of a negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test result in real-time (RT-PCR) posted within three days before your expected arrival in Boracay.

Tests

A resident and a commercial operator said that RT-PCR tests were difficult to obtain in Western Visayas and that publication of the results generally took three days to a week.

RT-PCR tests at Iloilo cost between P3,000 and P4,500, and in Metro Manila, from P4,000 to P12,000.

“[The number of] Tourists from Western Visayas were already increasing before the RT-PCR test requirement was imposed, ”said the resident, who asked not to be identified to avoid antagonizing government officials.

The Boracay Interagency Task Force (BIATF) required tourists to have a negative RT-PCR test result no earlier than 48 hours before traveling. However, the requirement excludes Aklan residents.

The island began accepting tourists from Western Visayas on June 16 after more than three months of lockdown. Tourists were only required to fill out health declarations and should not have symptoms of COVID-19.

Secretary of Tourism Bernadette Romulo-Puyat

Established health protocols

The BIATF and the Interagency Working Group for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, which approved the request from the commercial operators and local governments of Malay and Aklan, imposed the requirement of the RT-PCR test for all tourists, including tourists. from the Western Visayas provinces. , Since the 1st of october.

Records showed that 3,780 tourists, most of them from Iloilo, visited Boracay from June 16 to September 20. The figure was less than the 4,000 to 5,000 daily arrivals before the pandemic.

Puyat said that while health and safety protocols had been put in place, the success of the Boracay reopening would largely depend on compliance and cooperation from guests.

“We urge our visitors to be responsible tourists. Follow the guidelines, respect the rules. We can never be too accommodating, even on vacation, we must stick to minimum health protocols. Let’s wear our mask when possible, ”he said.

Malaysian councilor Maylynn Aguirre-Graf said the local government was still monitoring the impact of health and safety protocols on tourist arrivals.

Graf said hotel room rates had been slashed by as much as 75 percent, with mid-range hotels and some high-end establishments offering their rooms for P2,500 a night, including breakfast for two guests.

It is not cheap

“Commercial operators want to offset tourist expenses by getting RT-PCR tests by offering these rates,” said Graf, chairman of the Malaysian city council’s tourism and environment committees.

A short vacation to Boracay during the pandemic is not cheap for many.

A family of five from Metro Manila would spend P48,435.60 to P60,890 for a three-day, two-night stay in Boracay at current rates.

These include return airline tickets (P2,852.12 to P5,343 per person), hotel accommodation (P2,500 per night per room for two), RT-PCR tests (P4,500 per person), boat (P60 per person)), Boracay and Caticlan terminal fees (P200 per person) and environmental fee (P75 per person).

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