For now, authorities will cap the number of visitors to Boracay at 19,125 at any given time. This is a far cry from the period prior to April’s shutdown, when the beach destination welcomed up to 70,000 tourists at a time in peak seasons.
Boracay, which was closed in April 2018 due to overtourism, is preparing for a ‘soft open’ on October 15, 2018 — even if it is not completely ready to do so.
For now, authorities will cap the number of visitors to Boracay at 19,125 at any given time. This is a far cry from the period prior to April’s shutdown, when the beach destination welcomed up to 70,000 tourists at a time in peak seasons.
However, here comes the bad news: while travellers can technically stay at one of the 249 hotels and resorts allowed to do business on the island, which is down from the 430 in operation before the closure, only 25 have received the accreditation necessary to reopen from the Department of Tourism (DOT) as of October 7. To make matters worse, according to a report by The Philippines Star, of the 2,474 hotels and restaurants inspected by the authorities, only 560 were found to be compliant with new regulations that enforce responsible waste disposal.
Despite the incomplete infrastructure, the government is eager to push ahead. To mitigate any potential hiccups, a 10-day dry run will be held starting October 15 to determine the island’s readiness. DOT regional director said, “The reopening will not be full blast because the rehabilitation of the island cannot be done in only six months.” She explained that the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force, the team established to lead the island’s recovery, has two years to accomplish its goals. “So we still have one year and a half left,” she added.