With the easing of travel restrictions and the governmentโs health and safety protocols, the Catanduanes Provincial Tourism Office is eyeing a stable increase in tourism growth for the year 2022.
โGiven the current situation and tourism statistics of the Happy Island, I hope that this upward trend will continuously improve in the months ahead,โ Supervising Tourism Operations Officer Carmel Bonifacio-Garcia, the Supervising Tourism Operations Officer said.
From January to March 2022, a total of 24,396 domestic and foreign tourists were recorded by the Provincial Tourism Office based on the reports submitted by the accommodation establishments. The arrivals total is 70.95% higher than last yearโs 14,271.
Virac, as the tourism hub and capital town of the Happy Island where almost 70% of accommodation establishments in the entire province are located, garnered the highest number of tourist arrivals at 20,239, followed by the towns of San Andres and Baras, with 2,683 and 709 tourist arrivals, respectively.
The Provincial Tourism Office also recorded a 30.69% increase in same-day visitors, from 47,311 in 2021 to 61,830 for the 1st quarter of 2022.
As to the economic impact, these numbers translate to P29,274,000 in domestic gross receipts and P5,151 in foreign gross receipts, and also generated jobs worth P29,763.12.
โThis significant increase in tourist arrivals and same-day visitors, both domestic and foreign, can be attributed to the full reopening of tourism destinations in the various municipalities,โ Bonifacio-Garcia explained.
Meanwhile, a surge in numbers was also observed during the Holy Week, as the Provincial Tourism Office recorded 35,920 domestic and 38 foreign same-day visitors while tourist arrivals reached 3,688 tourists.
โAs we rebuild the tourism industry, these positive results are crucial in monitoring our tourism growth. That is why, on your next travel, we invite you