ILOILO CITY — World-famous Boracay Island has registered its second highest tourist arrivals for this pandemic year last month.
Data showed that 32,452 tourists visited the country’s most popular beach destination in Malay town, Aklan province from October 1-31, 2021.
“They are loving it here more and more,” said Malay Town Councilor Nenette Aguirre Graf.
But the October 2021 tourist arrivals was 2,656 less than the July 2021 arrivals. That month alone, there were 35,108 tourists.
The momentum of the July 2021 tourist arrivals was cut short when tourists were barred entering Boracay last August 1. This was after the national government placed Aklan province under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) when COVID-19 cases in the province suddenly spiked during mid-July. At that time, traveling for leisure was banned.
The numbers for October 2021 are upbeat and Boracay will be expecting more tourists by the year end.
Boracay is gradually opening up its doors from tourists who are fully vaccinated. Late in October, tourists who are residents of Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, and Iloilo provinces as well as residents of Iloilo City have been allowed and no longer needed to undergo COVID-19 swab tests.