BORACAY – Foreign visitors are slowly trickling back in Boracay Island following almost two years of abrupt ban on foreign nationals due to the pandemic.
Fully vaccinated travelers are welcome quarantine-free in Boracay Island. In March 2020, the island barred the entry of foreigners with the spike in Covid-19 cases.
About 110 foreign tourists arrived in Boracay Island from February 12 to 18. Boracay Island welcomed 50 tourists from the United States, while the island saw 40 foreign visitors from the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Norway, France, and Germany.
The island also received tourists from Sweden, China, Ireland, Switzerland, Hong Kong, South Korea, Turkey, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.
Domestic tourists also recorded 41,069 from February 1 to 18, data from Malay Municipal Tourism Office showed.
As of date, no international flights from South Korea, Taiwan, and mainland China have landed in Kalibo International Airport since it reopened to foreign travelers on February 10.
With the waiving of mandatory quarantine for incoming tourists, the government is relying on strict pandemic health guidelines and high vaccination rates in Boracay Island to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Malay acting mayor Frolibar Bautista has been optimistic of the reopening of doors to foreign visitors as a boost to the local economy and tourism that have been battered by the pandemic.
Malay has so far reported 1,557 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 18 coronavirus-related deaths. More than 100 percent of its eligible population already received their doses – a figure that includes tourism workers and residents./PN
