BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The country’s coronavirus situation is improving and so is the number of tourists visiting Negros Occidental.
Tourist arrivals are approaching pre-pandemic levels, according to Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.
He hopes that things would further improve. Before the pandemic began in March of 2020, he said, Negros Occidental was next to Boracay Island in the number of tourist arrivals in Western Visayas.
“That is the scenario we would like to reach again,” Lacson said.
The Provincial Tourism Office reported that resorts and other tourism establishments which are mostly privately-owned are reporting occupancy rates nearing pre-pandemic levels.
The Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary which opened on April 20 has resumed accepting overnight accommodations yesterday, May 1.
To accommodate the influx of tourists in the next couple of months, Lacson said they are eyeing to further improve the facilities at the Mambukal Resort, which is recognized as one of top tourist destinations in the province.
“Mambukal is like a symbol of our tourism. By having a soft opening, we’re saying that we’re also opening up our tourism. But of course, we continue to ask our visitors to still practice our minimum health protocols,” Lacson said.
Sipalay City, which is also a popular holiday destination in the province, has also started to recover not just from the coronavirus pandemic but also from the destruction brought by super typhoon “Odette” in December of last year.
Sipalay City is known for its beautiful beaches and breathtaking dive sites. The city also received an award during last year’s Negros Occidental Tourism Excellence Awards as the Most Prepared Local Government Unit in Tourism on COVID-19 Responsiveness./PN
