Boracay’s tourist arrivals for the first four months of the year reached 481,556 – with the month of April posting the biggest number with 157,302.

                In his regular Monthly Report of Accomplishments aired over a local radio station here, Aklan Governor Carlito S. Marquez also disclosed that the four-month arrivals earned for the government a total of P57,422,515.52 in collections at the Caticlan Jetty Port.

                The month of April alone also generated some P2.63 billion in tourism receipts, based on records of the Provincial Tourism Operations Office (PTOO), said Governor Marquez.

                With the increasing trend in tourist arrivals, the provincial governor expressed optimism that the 1.2 million mark in Aklan would be attained this year.

                Last year for the same period, a total of 332,104 Boracay visitor arrivals were recorded by the province, with April also having the highest number of visitors.

                Of the first four months, February listed the least number of arrivals with 95,559.  January had 110,518 while March had 118,177.

                It was also noted that last month, there were more domestic tourists than foreigners who arrived in the island.  Domestic tourists constituted 117,306 or 74.57% while foreigners reached 36,376, or 23.13%.

                Overseas Filipino Workers who visited the island during the four-month period, on the other hand, reached 3,620, or 2.30%.

                Meanwhile,  the direct Kalibo-Hongkong flights eminating from Kalibo International Airport through Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines are seen by provincial officials to help increase visitor arrivals in the island.

                Cebu Pacific, which started the route on March 23 of this year has 3 flights weekly, while PAL, which started plying the same route on May 1, will have two flights weekly.  (VGV PIA 6 Aklan)