NOTE: THIS PRESS RELEASE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
Bohol went the extra mile after exceeding the 900,000 target for tourist arrivals in 2023.
This was confirmed by the Bohol Provincial Tourism Office (BPTO) when the province registered a total of 1,010,248 tourist arrivals, broken down to 67% domestic guests and 33% foreign tourists.
Due to the available direct international flights, foreign arrivals contributed to the influx, with Korea taking 41.8% of the pie, followed by China, Taiwan, the US, Germany, and France.
The arrivals gathered an impressive P75.6 billion in tourist receipts last year, a testament to the tourism industry’s value to Bohol’s economy.
This can be partly credited to BPTO’s sustainable tourism practices and development as envisioned in the strategic change agenda of the provincial government.
The office continues to focus on innovative tourism management as the provincial arm of marketing and promoting Bohol as a compelling, top-of-mind destination of choice.
This includes planning and product development, policy standards and coordination, tourism services, and marketing and promotions.
Joanne Pinat, BPTO officer-in-charge, thanked the provincial government for supporting the office’s mandate, especially on implementing the Tourism Development Plans.
“We would like to take this opportunity (to) thank our partner offices who tirelessly work with us in all our activities and projects on the ground… and those whom we consistently seek support and help from,” she said during the Capitol’s post-flag ceremony program last Monday.
Pinat also thanked Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado, Vice Gov. Dionisio Victor Balite, Sangguniang Panlalawigan members, and Provincial Administrator Asteria Caberte for their wisdom and guidance.
One factor in the surge in local and international interest in visiting Bohol was the island province’s designation as the country’s first and only UNESCO Global Geopark.
With this, Bohol topped Agoda’s ‘New Horizons’ list as the most searched and preferred destination early this year.
It also placed ninth on Booking.Com’s most trending list for most booked destinations last year.
Pinat said BPTO looks forward to a better tourism industry this year, anticipating more tourism investments and developments, including the province being one of AirAsia’s international hubs.
Through this, Bohol is poised for greater heights by opening its doors for additional direct international flights and inviting international hotel brands to locate more investments in the island province. (PiMO/JSS)