Over 2 million tourists visited Boracay in 2023 so far —Malay Tourism Office

More than 2 million tourists arrived in Boracay Island in Aklan from January to December this year, according to the Malay Tourism Office.

This already exceeded the target of 1.8 million tourist arrivals in Boracay for this year, according to a report of GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita on Monday.

Many travelers were still arriving over the weekend to celebrate Christmas Day on the island.

Local authorities reminded tourists to be responsible travelers and keep the island clean and safe.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) as well as the airports operated by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) are on heightened alert status for the Christmas season.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) earlier said it was expecting 1.5 million individuals to arrive in the Philippines in December as trends show a major increase in travelers in 2023.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said they recorded around 1 million arrivals monthly by the second quarter, an increase from the 100,000 arrivals per month during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. —Joviland Rita/KG, GMA Integrated News