‘Keep tourists’ health in check’

Health authorities in Western Visayas were urged to ensure that foreign and local tourists in the region are safe from diseases.
“I believe our health authorities have the necessary equipment against Ebola virus and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus,” said Department of Tourism (DOT) regional director Helen Catalbas.
“I hope they continue to be vigilant to protect our tourists,” Catalbas said in a recent press conference here.
She stressed that the surge of tourists in the region help boost economic growth.
The World Health Organization had announced that the Ebola virus is already an international emergency.
At least seven overseas Filipino workers now in the country were being monitored on suspicion that they were infected by Ebola, the Department of Health had said.
DOT data showed there were some 951,964 foreign and local tourists in Western Visayas from January to July this year.
In the same period last year, the number of tourists was only 881,231.
The Top 10 foreign tourists in the region in terms of number were those from South Korea, 141, 615; China, 130,292; Taiwan, 25,765; United States, 14,420; Russia, 11,419; Singapore, 11,240; Australia, 10,651; Malaysia, 8,819; United Kingdom, 6,188; and Germany, 5,463.
Western Visayas is composed of Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Capiz, Guimaras, Aklan, and Antique./