ILOILO City – Western Visayas generated P70 billion in tourist receipts from approximately 5.36 million visitors in 2023, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).
These figures were derived from data collected from local government units, said Phoebe Zelie A. Areño, assistant regional director of DOT Region 6.
She cited a significant increase of 22.88% in tourist arrivals compared to the 4.36 million recorded in 2022. Aklan, home to the famed Boracay island, recorded the highest number of visitors.
Here’s the breakdown of the 2023 tourist arrivals in Region 6
* Aklan – 2,200,138
* Antique – 149,509
* Capiz – 196,844
* Guimaras – 133,818
* Iloilo – 318,535
* Negros Occidental – 694,015
* Bacolod City – 780,916
* Iloilo City – 886,283
The estimated tourist receipts by province are the following:
* Aklan – P44.44 billion
* Antique – P564.90 million
* Capiz – P689.33 million
* Guimaras – P427.57 million
* Iloilo – P2.27 billion
* Negros Occidental – P6.23 billion
* Bacolod City – P7.10 billion
* Iloilo City – P8.29 billion
In addition, the region recorded 550,357 foreign tourist arrivals in 2023, contributing P11.4 billion in international visitor receipts.
South Koreans topped the list of foreign nationals visiting the region, followed by visitors from the USA, China, Australia, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Germany, and Russia.
Areño also noted an increase in passenger traffic across the region’s six airports, reaching 5.01 million in 2023 compared to 2.24 million in 2022.
The cruise sector saw 8,568 passengers from seven cruise calls. For the first quarter of 2024 alone, five cruise calls have already brought 7,111 passengers, emphasizing Boracay’s popularity among cruise travelers.
Looking ahead, preliminary data for 2024, as of July 7, shows 1.33 million tourist arrivals with estimated receipts of nearly P24 billion.
DOT-6 continues to encourage local governments to have their tourism establishments accredited, reinforcing the region’s commitment to tourism development as outlined in the National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028. This plan aims to transform the Philippines into a tourism powerhouse in Asia through improvements in infrastructure, digital connectivity, and governance./PN
