Surprise? Boracay is No Longer the Top Local Travel Destination for Foreign Tourists

Surprise? Boracay is No Longer the Top Local Travel Destination for Foreign Tourists

Boracay, consistently hailed among the top islands in the world by international travel publications, continues to attract a great number of visitors. Last year, arrivals to the island reached pre-pandemic levels of over two million, but interestingly, unlike previous years, most of them were no longer foreign tourists.

Destination management companies (DMCs) are seeing a shift in travel preferences of foreigners, most of whom are now leaning more toward other island in the country like Palawan, Bohol, even Siargao. Many tourism experts had expected Boracay to continue to reap the awards of its rehabilitation in 2018, when officials cleaned up its waters, recovered its wetlands, widened its main roads, and improved its sewerage and drainage systems.

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Data on the regional distribution of overnight travelers as of March 7, 2024 from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed that, outside of Metro Manila and the province of Cebu, the most popular destinations for international travelers in 2023 were Palawan (including Puerto Princesa) at 680,895; Pampanga (including the Clark freeport zone, San Fernando City, and Angeles City) at 583,743; Aklan (including Boracay Island) at 428,704; and Bohol at 325,499.

Prior to the pandemic, in 2019, Aklan (including Boracay Island) received 1.06 million foreign travelers, coming in third after Cebu and NCR, followed by Palawan (including Puerto Princesa) at 824,159; Bohol at 720,364; and Pampanga (including the Clark freeport zone, San Fernando City, and Angeles City) at 456,916.

Similarly, data from the Malay Municipal Tourism office showed foreign tourists, at 144,405, accounted for some 27 percent of the 538,603 total arrivals from January to March 2024. But in the same period in 2019, foreign tourists reached 357,041 and accounted for some 60 percent of the 619,934 in total arrivals.

Stakeholders accuse DOT of neglect

DMCs, along with resort owners on the island, which became popular for its powdery creamy white-sand beaches, blame the rising costs of visiting the destination and the stressful connection from the Caticlan airport on mainland Aklan to the island, for the waning interest of foreigners.

In an interview, Dindo Salazar, president of the Boracay Foundation Inc. said, “It’s fantastic that we’ve achieved the two million milestone [last year], and we deeply appreciate the support, particularly from the domestic market. However, to increase our revenue, we still need to tap into the foreign market.” Prior to the pandemic, the island’s key markets were dominated by South Koreans and mainland Chinese.

For the Hennan Group, where he is assistant vice president for the Boracay resorts operations, Salazar said they are particularly affected by the slow influx of South Koreans, their main market until the pandemic hit. But now, he said, “South Koreans are favoring Bohol. It just takes 10 minutes from the airport to their resorts. There are no environmental or port fees, and other ancillaries.”

In contrast, tourists have to pay so many fees in Boracay: P300 environmental fee for foreigners, P150 arrival port fee, P150 departure port fee, P100 snorkeling fee, P100 picnic fee, among others.

One tourism leader who spoke on background also claimed, “Many stakeholders feel the Department of Tourism (DOT) are not supporting Boracay nowadays. Secretary [Christina Garcia] Frasco came here last Labor Day and told us that Boracay is already the top destination, and we are doing a great job. So she doesn’t want to meddle anymore. Those are not her exact words, but we felt that was what she meant.”

‘Small, chaotic jetty port’

A resort owner, who asked not to be named, asserted that government agencies seem to be supporting other island destinations over Boracay.

“DOT is doing more to promote Cebu, but not Boracay,” which she said was the reason foreign travelers have been slow to visit the island. Cebu, which is the home province of Frasco, has been hosting several high profile local and international events like welcome ceremonies for South Korean companies on incentive tours in April 2023, the first Philippine Tourism Dive Dialogue and the Philippine Travel Exchange—a major travel trade expo—last September. This June, the island province will host the Joint Regional Meetings of the Committee for East Asia and the Pacific, and South Asia of the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Jose C. Clemente III, president of Rajah Tours Philippines, agreed that the numerous fees imposed on tourists by Boracay, “is probably one of the biggest factors why tourists, and even the travel trade [buyers], now prefer other destinations. Aside from too many fees, more significantly, there is the hassle of passing through the small and chaotic jetty port in Caticlan.”

Having just participated at the recent ITB Berlin, the world’s largest travel trade show, he acknowledged “a decrease in inquiries for Boracay from our clients. It has shifted to other places such as Bohol and Palawan.” Clemente advises Boracay “to reset if it wants to regain its place as the most sought-after destination in the country.”

In a separate interview, a DMC executive speaking on background, said it didn’t really matter whether or not the DOT promoted Boracay abroad.

“We have the ability to steer clients where we want, with or without [government] promotions,” the source said. “At the end of the day, and from our point of view as DMCs, we support destinations that are easy to work with, where we get value, are logistically convenient, and all of that.” For instance, he said there were inquiries for Bohol and Siargao, because tour operators “have been pushing them,” not the DOT.

Cheaper room rates for Chinese tourists?

The executive also blamed Boracay resort owners for the tepid arrivals of foreign tourists. “Prior to the pandemic] they favored the China market, so the other markets got turned off. We’re also disappointed. They dropped their rates for Chinese tourists but for the Western markets, they charged very high rates for the very same rooms. Who wouldn’t get pissed?”

Meanwhile, in the DOT’s defense, Regional Director for Western Visayas Crisanta Marlene Rodriguez said the agency has sustained efforts to promote Boracay in international markets. “We’ve actively facilitated the visits of international media, including writers and photojournalists, as well as influencers and vloggers who have showcased Boracay in their features. We’ve also supported and assisted familiarization trips for international tour operators and travel agencies.”

She added that Boracay has been promoted by her regional office’s participation in travel trade events such as ITB Berlin, the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions) Roadshow in South Korea, the Medical and Wellness Tourism Conference in Italy, and the Seatrade Cruise Global in the US, among others.

The DOT supports efforts as well to highlight the island as a premier destination for MICE, and “promotes [Boracay] directly to travel professionals and potential tourists within the country and from around the globe with the agency’s participation in the Philippine Travel Mart, the Philippine Travel Agencies Association’s Tourism and Travel Expo, and other local expos,” said Rodriguez.