The tourism industry in Negros Occidental, which had slowed down at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, is picking up again, Provincial Tourism Officer Cheryl Decena said Wednesday, July 20.
Negros Occidental now has a lot of emerging tourism destinations, she said, but she assured that COVID-19 health protocols are being observed to prevent a surge in the virus.
Negros Occidental’s domestic and foreign overnight tourists hit 127,494, partial data from January to June shows.
The report only covers figures from 13 local government units in Negros Occidental, the number of overnight tourists will be higher when the 18 other LGUs submit their data, Decena said.
Same day tourists in Negros Occidental hit 445,118, reports from 10 cities and six towns also showed.
The top ten foreign tourists in Negros Occidental this year were from the United States, India, China, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Austria, Korea, Japan and France.
The Department of Tourism has accredited 203 tourism establishments in Negros Occidental as of June, which is a 42 percent increase from March, Decena said.*