The Hundred Islands National Park (HINP) here has recorded 389,006 tourist arrivals from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2022.
In a phone interview on Wednesday, city tourism officer Miguel Sison said of the total number, 267,567 were domestic tourists, 118,459 were local tourists, and the rests were foreign tourists.
“The number of tourists increased as the restrictions were eased in 2022,” he said.
Sison said some PHP33.3 million in income was generated by the HINP in 2022, which “overshoot(s) our PHP25 million target last year.”
Although the number of tourist arrivals has not yet fully returned to its pre-pandemic level of 520,000 in 2019, the number is already beyond the number of visitors to the national park in 2020 at 93,000 and in 2021 at 50,000.
Meanwhile, an additional area at the HINP called Ramos Island will be opened to the public in the first quarter of this year.
Sison said the island will be a retreat area and has a function hall that could accommodate at least 100 people.
“We hope to open it in time for the Holy Week,” he said.
There are 14 islands open for tourists and the Ramos Island will be an addition to the attractions in the national park.
The Alaminos city government has been conducting the Volunturismo program that encourages individuals to help in maintaining the cleanliness of the HINP.
Sison said the program started last October and will end this month.
“Every Friday some 100 to 150 individuals volunteer to help clean the islands. We offer them free food and ride as a courtesy but they do the work voluntarily,” he said.
The Scubasurero and regular coastal clean-up were among the programs being implemented by the local government. (PNA)
