The Philippines travel and tourism sector is fixing the planned shutdown of Boracay Island, which is the country’s top tourist draw.Published on : Thursday, March 22, 2018
The Philippines travel and tourism sector is fixing the planned shutdown of Boracay Island, which is the country’s top tourist draw.
With the President Rodrigo Duterte thinking of directing the key agencies to close the world-famous island resort for tourists for as long as a year, the country’s biggest business group said that while the purpose looks good, the government should also think about the negative impact on businesses that depend largely on Boracay.
The proposed shutdown of Boracay is intended to address the ecological crisis hounding the island, but a complete closure of the Island for tourists would affect thousands of workers. Boracay establishments generated 17,737 jobs in 2017, the largest number in Western Visayas.
The island attracted more than two million local and foreign tourists in 2017, going up by 16% from 2016, as per data from the Department of Tourism (DOT).
The airlines serving Boracay have emergency measures and alternative plans to reduce the impact of a possible Boracay shutdown. To offset potential losses in the event of a shutdown, the budget carrier is thinking of adding more flights to other leisure destinations like Bohol, Palawan, Cebu, Davao, and Iloilo.
Since the Boracay issue came up, Tourism Secretary of the Philippines Wanda Teo has repeatedly urged tourism players to promote alternative destinations in the country.
Tags: Boracay Islands