This highly-urbanized city logged a 6.72 percent increase in overnight tourist arrivals in 2024, further strengthening its status as a top destination in the country.

Data from the City Tourism Office on Monday showed Bacolod accommodated 833,345 overnight travelers last year compared to only 780,916 in 2023.

In a statement, Tourism Operations Office chief Ma. Teresa Manalili said overnight tourist arrivals in the city have steadily climbed in the past three years, recovering from the pandemic lows in 2020 and 2021.

“The city government remains committed to strengthening Bacolod’s position as a top destination in the Philippines under the banner ‘Smile, You’re in Bacolod!’ and in support of the Department of Tourism’s ‘Love the Philippines” campaign,” she said.

Last year’s total overnight tourists included 774,084 domestic and 59,261 foreign visitors.

The city’s top ten foreign markets were the United States, China, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong SAR.

Some 125,491 same-day tourists also visited Bacolod in 2024, data showed.

Meanwhile, the annual overview showed that from 803,911 overnight tourist arrivals in 2019, figures slumped by 82.22 percent to only 143,114 in 2020, and slightly increased by 3.12 percent to 147,582 tourists in 2021.

By 2022, Bacolod rebounded with 618,682 overnight travelers, showing an increase of 319.17 percent, followed by a growth of 26.22 percent to 780,916 tourists the following year.

In October last year, the MassKara Festival drew 98,563 visitors, higher by 24.03 percent compared to the 2023 figures.

“This marks the festival’s continued resurgence as a major cultural and tourism draw for both local and international guests,” Manalili said.

Aside from the MassKara Festival, Bacolod also attracts tourists to its other major festivals.

These include the Bacolaodiat Festival, one of biggest Chinese New Year celebrations in the country; Chicken Inasal Festival, a celebration of the city’s chicken inasal industry every May; and Bacolod Rum Festival, which highlights the role of the sugar industry in rum production every August. (PNA)