La Puerta El Paraiso

GUIMARAS, Nov. 26 (PNA) – Local excursionists topped the list of visitors in the island-province of Guimaras numbering more than 100,000 for the past 10 months of 2008.

Records provided by the Guimaras Tourism Office showed that the number of local excursionists posted a high record in March with 20,774 visitors. Visitors also registered high records in the months of April and May. In April, there were 14,397 visitors and 11,231 in May.

The number of tourist arrivals contributed greatly to the income of the province. The months of March, April and May are considered as peak summer months and mostly people prefer to go to resort and beaches.

The number of local visitors is thrice as much of the local tourists which are only 28,540 for the past 10 months. The foreign tourists posted a record of 1,697 and 4,777 for the excursionists.

The tourism industry suffered a major setback after the oil spill. Local and foreign tourists were discouraged to visit the island because of the presence of the oil sludge in the beaches.

According to Gov. Felipe Hilan Nava, the tourist arrivals in the province continue to pick up after the oil spill. More tourists are expected to flock the island as soon as the two major tourism destinations costing millions of pesos are completely developed.

More visitors will visit the island as soon as the La Puerta El Paraiso in Barangay San Roque, Nueva Valencia and Lombija Wildlife in Sitio Bombia, Barangay Napandong also in Nueva Valencia will open to the public. The La Puerta El Paraiso is owned by Helen Clarke while Lombija is owned by businessman Henry Babiera.

The La Puerta will cater tourists from Australia and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, a group of Makati-based tourism operators expressed their intention in bringing more European tourists to the island. The group already surveyed the different resorts in Guimaras, said Nava.