Kalibo, Aklan -- Visitor arrivals in the island of Boracay breached the half-million mark as of September 2009.
Based on records displayed by the Provincial Tourism Office here at the Statistical Exhibit/Contest of national and provincial government agencies at the Provincial Trade Hall, visitor arrivals in Boracay Island from January to September of this year totaled 506,896.
Domestic tourists made up the biggest number of Boracay visitors during the 9-month period with 343,076 followed by foreign tourists with 143,731 and Overseas Filipinos, 20,269.
Domestic tourists were biggest in number during the months of April with 75,161: May, 68,837 and March, 41,007. They were lowest in number in the month of August.
On the other hand, foreign visitors were biggest in number in January 2009 with 23,161 and August, with 21,428.
The biggest number of Overseas Filipinos flocked to the island in January with 4,283. They were lowest in number in August with 1,417.
The month of August is considered a lean month in Aklan if not in the entire Philippines which could be the reason why less domestic and overseas Filipinos visited the island during the period.
For foreigners, however, August seems a good month to visit the island, as next to January, they were biggest in number during this month in Boracay Island.
The foreign, domestic and Overseas Filipinos' visit to the island generated a total of P9,318,471,926.00 in tourism receipts.
The holding of the Statistical Exhibit/ Contest among government agencies at the Provincial Trade Hall is one of the activities conceptualized by the province in observance of National Statistics Month this October. (PIA/Venus G. Villanueva)