Boracay unaffected by terror warnings

[OceanBreezeInn]

Tourists appear unfazed by warnings of terrorist attacks.

The Department of Tourism office in Western Visayas announced yesterday it had not received any notice of cancellation of bookings from tour operators, resorts and hotels since six countries issued alerts against travel to the Philippines.

Helen Camarista, assistant tourism regional director, said tourist arrivals in the region were even increasing with the start of the peak season starting this month.

“We are not belittling the advisories but so far, it has not affected our tourist arrivals,” Camarista said.

Most of the visitors to Western Visayas are from South Korea, the United States and Japan.

Loubelle Cann, president of the Boracay Foundation Inc., a group of business owners in Boracay, also concurred that the advisories had not affected visits to the popular island-resort.

“So far business is good and we are preparing for the holiday season,” Cann said.

The tourism department had earlier reported cancellations of reservations in Boracay by tourists from China and Hong Kong
after the Aug. 23 hostage-taking fiasco in Manila where eight Hong Kong tourists were killed.

But Camarista said the arrivals from these two areas were “starting to normalize.”

Source: inquirer