Boracay tourism rises by 7 percent in January

Boracay tourism rises by seven percent in January 2017 with China as taking the lead for this year.

Julfe Rabe, information officer of the Caticlan Jetty Port, said Thursday that from Jan.1-31, they received a total of 169, 843 foreign and local tourists. The data is higher compared on the same month in 2016 wherein they only received 158, 701.

For the past years, South Koreans always were on the top lead of tourists visiting Boracay. But this year, a factor that made Chinese on the lead were that they celebrated their Chinese New Year in Boracay.

China in January registered 34, 748 followed by South Koreans in a slight difference with 34, 040. Other top ten foreign arrivals includes Taiwan with 3, 840; Russia, 2, 414; USA, 2, 039; Australia, 1, 874; United Kingdom, 1, 545; Malaysia, 1381; Saudi Arabia, 1152 and Germany 1025.

Meanwhile the Xiamen Airlines, a Skyteam member alliance, said that they will be opening direct flights to Kalibo International Airport (KIA) in March 2017. The routes will be coming from Fuzhou and Xiamen in China.

These new routes are seen to boost Chinese arrivals to Boracay.