The city has logged more tourist arrivals this June following the easing of travel restrictions in the National Capital Region (NCR).

“Records from the city tourism office show an increasing trend in tourist arrivals in Baguio with 1,400 visitors recorded on the first week and 2,978 for the second week of June,” Aileen Refuerzo, chief of the city’s Public Information Office (PIO), said in a statement on Monday.

Most of them were from NCR who registered via the online visitors’ registration portal www.visita.baguio.gov.ph for their QTP (quick response coded travel permit) pass, she said.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), in Resolution 121, allowed interzonal travel between areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ (MGCQ) for leisure purposes.

Metro Manila is under GCQ with “some restrictions” until June 30.

“This is in addition to the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB)-subsidized antigen test that is being offered to tourists,” she said.

With the subsidy, tourists would only pay a testing fee of PHP350 at the city’s central triage at the Baguio Convention Center.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong earlier said that based on the city’s records, 70 percent of tourists in the city before and during the pandemic are those from Metro Manila.

When the city opened its doors to tourists from Region 1 in September last year, it only received around 20 to 50 tourists daily.

This number only increased to over 1,000 when the city government allowed tourists from the whole of Luzon.

With the gradual and safe reopening of the city to tourists, it has so far registered PHP1.8 billion in tourism receipts.

Cold weather still a come-on

Engr. Aloysius Mapalo, city tourism officer, in an interview by media last week said many people “are already bored and eager to travel”.

He added that people’s desire for travel continues despite the rainy season.

“Marami pa rin ang nakaka-miss sa malamig na weather natin (many still misses the cold weather we have here),” Mapalo said.

Mapalo said tourists in the city are required to submit a negative result of either polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, antigen, or saliva test in the past 72 hours.

Under Baguio’s travel guidelines, tourists can either book at the Department of Tourism (DOT)- accredited hotels and accommodations or stay with their relatives or friends.

However, the name and address of the non-DOT accredited accommodation establishment must be submitted for monitoring purposes.

Day visitors are also allowed in the city. (PNA)