Initial figures show that overnight tourists in Negros Occidental dropped by 73 percent last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic compared to 2019, Provincial Tourism Officer Jennylind Cordero said today, February 10.
World tourism also dropped by 74 percent last year, she pointed out.
She said from 858,995 overnight tourists in Negros Occidental in 2019, the number dropped to 232,899 or by 73 percent in 16 local government units in 2020.
Day Tourists who were 2,241,715 dropped to 894,072 or by 60 percent in 19 local government units in 2020, Cordero added.
Meanwhile, the number of displaced tourism workers who have applied for the P5,000 cash assistance from the Department of Tourism-Department of Labor and Employment in Negros Occidental have hit 19,575, exceeding the initial target of 10,000 as of Monday, February 8, and it is still increasing, she said.
The 19,575 belong to 500 groups that include tourism enterprises, community-based tourism organizations, tour guide associations and tourism support services, she said.
The P5,000 assistance initially covered employees of accredited tourism establishments but under Bayanihan 2 those engaged in support services such as tricycle drivers, fishermen, and farmers have been included, she said.
Cordero said tourist attractions in the province have reopened but mostly only for residents of the towns or cities where they are located.*