BORACAY—The local government of Aklan is urging the national government to allocate approximately ₱2 billion to fund its proposed cruise ship port at the world-famous Boracay, aiming to replenish foreign arrivals that have recently seen a decline.

Aklan Governor Jose Enrique Miraflores told reporters here that cruise ship tourism is one of the island’s “up-and-coming activities” this year.

In 2024, he said 19 cruise ships made their way to Boracay, an island located in Malay town of the province, best known for its white sand beaches.

Miraflores, however, said the cruise ships did not significantly impact foreign arrivals due to the lack of proper docking facilities for large vessels.

He said cruise ships typically dock away from the coast of Boracay, requiring tourists to transfer to tender boats to reach the island.

He added that foreign tourists, especially the elderly, often choose to skip Boracay due to these accessibility concerns.

The official noted that due to weather conditions, three cruise ships last year skipped the island entirely because of rough waters, which they could have easily navigated with through a dedicated port facility.

“So our dream is to have a cruise ship port here so that ships can dock here and the tourists can safely go to the island,” said Miraflores.

He said the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), the implementing agency for the project, has an approved budget of ₱800 million this year to get the ball rolling for the cruise ship port.

The governor said early construction work on the project will likely begin in the fourth quarter of the year.

Even so, he estimates that the project will require about ₱2 billion in total funding to fully implement the province’s vision.

The budget would support the construction of a port that extends about 300 meters from the shore to reach waters deep enough for large vessels to dock.

Once completed, the port can accommodate two cruise ships at the same time, which is expected to boost tourist arrivals into Boracay.

Last year, the island welcomed 2.07 million tourists, failing to meet its target of 2.3 million tourists and down from 2023’s 2.12 million.

Foreign arrivals stood at around 412,000 last year, lagging behind the approximately 422,000 foreign tourists during the previous year.

As Boracay’s future is taking shape, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) is set to roll out a ₱50-million study to assess the viability of new tourism projects in the island.

In partnership with the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV), TIEZA will oversee a two-year study of Boracay’s wetlands, beachfront, and surrounding waters.

The outcome of the study is expected to outline new investment opportunities for Boracay.

Miraflores said there is still no confirmed date on the start of the initiative, but the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between TIEZA and the local government will take place next month.

TIEZA, which is under the Department of Tourism, oversees tourism infrastructure projects and the tourism enterprise zones.

The governor has floated that Boracay will look into the prospect of medical tourism to entice more tourists.