ILOILO CITY (PIA) - Department of Tourism (DoT) 6 Director Edwin Trompeta said there has been no let-up in tourist arrivals in Western Visayas and, in fact, ''it has been steadily growing.'' According to Trompeta, the tourism industry in the region remains unfazed despite the high profile negative events that occurred in the country such as the botched hostage crisis in Manila last August and the subsequent travel advisories issued by, predictably Hong Kong, among other countries. Statistics of the DoT 6 showed that tourist arrivals in Boracay Island alone, the premier tourist destination in the region, reached 713,738 from January to November this year, registering a 20.45 percent increase from 592,557 in 2009.
Trompeta said the accessibility and ''strong appeal'' of the region's attractions are among the major contributing factors lent resiliency to its tourism industry. Western Visayas has four airports namely, the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan, Iloilo; Bacolod-Silay Airport in Negros Occidental; and Kalibo Airport and Caticlan Airport in Aklan. Trompeta also expressed confidence that the country will meet its target of 3.3 visitor arrivals this year. He underscored the promotional activities embarked on by the DoT in 2009 involving Russian and German tour operators who visited the country for exposure trips and workshops. ''Almost 400 operators and agents are helping us push and promote the country as major destinations among clients especially in European countries,'' said Trompeta
