The white sand and pristine beaches of Boracay Island will be off limits to tourists in the next six months, with the island to undergo an environmental rehabilitation. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
BORACAY CLOSURE’S EFFECT
Those in the tourism industry in Cebu such as tour operators are now scrambling to accommodate tourists whose plans have gone haywire with President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval of the six-month closure of Boracay Island.
For one, local tour operators are trying to look for other destinations where they can bring these tourists that have already set their sights on spending the coming summer vacation in the country’s most popular island.
“The inevitable has happened and the whole industry, including Cebu stakeholders, are concerned on how to deal with clients who have to rebook accommodation in other island destinations,” said Alice Queblatin, president of the Cebu Association of Tour Operation Specialists (CATOS).
As of now, she said resorts in both Cebu and Bohol are already almost fully book for the months of April and May which are the peak months in the summer season.
According to presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, President Duterte has already approved the recommendation of the interagency committee to close the island for six months starting this April 26.
The decision was made by the President during last Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.
The task force, composed of the Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Department of
Interior and Local Government (DILG) earlier recommended for the closure of the island to give way for corrective measures to be done especially in its sewage problems.
CATOS, which is a group of operators accommodating inbound tourists, also said they have been getting calls of concern from Korean agents worrying about where they can bring their guests with Boracay’s closure.
Koreans continue to be the country’s top tourists followed by Chinese and Japanese nationals.
Opportunity, warning
When sought for comment on Boracay’s closure, the Hotels, Resorts, Restaurants Association of Cebu (HRRAC) said they expect a surge of tourist arrivals in Cebu as well as other island destinations in Central Visayas and the rest of the country.
“As of this time, the hotels and resorts are enjoying a high 70 percent occupancy in their properties. With this development, we will expect more,” said HRRAC President Carlo Suarez.
While it is a challenge for hotels and resorts in Cebu to accommodate the outflow of tourists, Suarez said it is also an opportunity for other destinations to be explored by more tourists.
“It’s an opportunity for the neighboring islands to showcase their destinations but it’s also a warning to all island destinations to make sure they are environmentally compliant so that they will not suffer the same fate with Boracay,” Suarez said.
In fact, he said the HRRAC is already looking into properties in Mactan Island for possible violation of environmental rules and regulations.
The DENR 7 earlier said that more than 90 resorts in Central Visayas were found to have violated coastal easement regulations. Of the number, six are reportedly located in Mactan Island.
Suarez said they are already closely working with the DENR and the Lapu-Lapu City Government to monitor properties in Mactan for compliance. He said though that there are still no notices of violation issued against these hotels and resorts.
“The resorts are highly encouraged to use this time to correct some measures as the findings by DENR are given to the resorts immediately. With the growing tourism of Cebu, safety and security of local and foreign guests are essential,” he said.
Flights halted
Major domestic airlines have also announced that they will stop flights from Cebu as well as other parts of the country into Caticlan and Kalibo which are the gateways to Boracay Island following the government’s announcement of its closure.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) issued an advisory on Wednesday evening that they are scaling down its services to the Caticlan and Kalibo airports for the next six months.
PAL will only be operating nine weekly flights between Manila and Kalibo and seven weekly flights between Manila and Caticlan to ensure that there is continued linkage to the area.
All other flights from Manila to the two airports are suspended from April 20 to October 27.
On the other hand, all flights from Cebu and Clark to Caticlan and Kalibo and vice versa will also be suspended from April 26 to October 27.
“Boracay is a national treasure. We fully support the government’s intention to make Boracay fully safe and environmentally friendly. Sustainable development is of critical concern, and we are one with the laudable goal to revert the island to a balanced eco-tourism paradise,” said PAL President Jaime Bautista in a statement.
Passengers of the affected flights to the two airports have been given the option to rebook, reroute, get a refund with penalties and charges waived.
In order to provide alternatives to tourists, PAL is also opening additional flights starting April 20 between Manila and Cebu, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa and Bacolod.
Starting April 26, they will also increase flights between Cebu and Busuanga, Cebu and Siargao, and Clark and Busuanga while starting April 28, they will increase flights between Cebu and Clark.
On the other hand, Cebu Pacific Air has also canceled 16 daily flights from Manila to Caticlan and vice versa as well as some flights between Cebu and Caticlan, and Cebu and Kalibo. The cancellation is effective starting April 26 until October 27.
But they are also still opening once a day flights from Manila to Caticlan and Kalibo and back. There is also one daily flight from Cebu to Caticlan and from Caticlan to Cebu.
The airline advised affected passenger to either get a full refund, place the value of the ticket in a travel fund for future use, rebook the flight but subject to seat availability, and reroute to any domestic destination also subject to seat availability.