BAGUIO CITY – The temperature starts to dip and the city is gearing up for its peak tourist season – Christmastime or the last two months of the year when tourist arrivals in the city are up.

(COMMONS WIKIPEDIA/ MANILA BULLETIN/ FILE PHOTO)

City Tourism Operations Office Aloysius Mapalo said the last months of the year draw the most number of tourists, at least 20 percent of the year’s total tourist arrivals.

He said December is the month of the year that attracts the most tourists, usually 30 percent more than the average monthly tourist arrivals.  In December last year, the city had 190,500 tourists excluding those who visited for a day and those who stayed in alternative accommodation houses.

Previous data from the City Tourism and Special Events Office also showed that Christmastime and not Panagbenga or the Holy Week has been the city’s peak tourist season from 2015 to 2017 where the city posted the highest number of tourist arrivals may they be local, foreign and balikbayan visitors.

Mapalo said the city expects to attract more tourists in the last two months of 2019 as Baguio lists new exciting events, activities and experiences.

“This coming November 16 to 24 is the Creative City month in Baguio, to be highlighted with the 2019 Ibagiw Creative City Festival, an enhancement of last year’s offering, the ENTAcool Festival, thus more creative and enriched activities this year, in partnership with the private organization of local artists, the Baguio Arts and Creatives Collective, Inc. or BACCI,” Mapalo said.

The event will primarily feature the “Made in Baguio” Competition in Crafts and Folk Art top-billed by local artisans and craftsmen showcasing innovation in the form of a competition for traditional Baguio crafts such as weaving, basketry, woodcarving and metal craft and the “Re-imagining Baguio” which is a series of local artists’ portraits, stories of, impressions on, visions or aspirations for Baguio through art installations, murals and short film to be mounted in different venues around the city.