Environment and Tourism: The Yin and Yang of Boracay

The environment and tourism may be considered as the yin and yang of Boracay; at least for the year 2017.

Data from Malay Municipal Tourism Office showed that Boracay registered 1,725,483 tourist arrivals in 2016, 11 percent higher than in 2015.

Of which, 868,765 are foreign arrivals, 813,302 are domestic tourists and 43,416 are overseas Filipino workers.

Koreans remained the top foreign visitors, numbering 321,016, followed by the Chinese (273,297), Taiwanese (55,736), Malaysians (26,115), Americans (23,887), Australians (16,745), British (16,318), Saudi Arabians (15,681), Russians (11,593) and Singaporeans (11,155).

Jetty Port Administrator Niven Maquirang said Aklan Provincial Government is targeting two million tourists for Boracay this year.

“Among those positive indicators contributing to the tourism growth are the Philippine hosting of Miss Universe pageant and the golden anniversary of the ASEAN Summit. We are also hoping for an increase in the number of Chinese tourists coming to Boracay,” Maquirang said.

The island is also enjoying several free positive publicities abroad. This includes the tag as the best beach in the world by an international magazine. The Department of Tourism is likewise developing Boracay as a cruise ship destination in Asia Pacific.

However, while Boracay achieved leaps and bounds on tourism, it also suffers criticism because of environmental related issues such as coral degradation, drainage problem and the cleanliness of the beach, among others.

“We need the help of all stakeholders in ensuring the environmental sustainability of Boracay,” said Merlyn Aborka, chief of the technical services section of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office.

“But the problem is stakeholder seems to have their own interpretation of how to save Boracay from environmental degradation,” said Aborka.

Meanwhile, Malay Councilor Nenette Aguirre-Graf is pushing for a summit to tackle the environmental woes in the island.

But until now, it was not clear if ever the summit will be materialized.

Sources from hotel managers in Boracay said that the DENR headed by its current secretary Gina Lopez is implementing strict measures. The strictness aims to return the image of Boracay as paradise.