A total of 1.27 million tourists visited this capital city of Albay province last year, which is higher than the 1.25-million figure in 2018.

The increased number is attributed to promotions of tourist destinations and different idyllic places here, said Tourism Officer Agapita Pacres in an interview on Monday.

She said Legazpi still emerged as the most attractive place to visit in Bicol for both domestic and foreign tourists.

“Most of the foreign tourists who visited this city came from the United States as well as Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and India, while the domestic or local visitors coming from different parts of the country were still the main contributors of the huge number of tourist arrivals in Legazpi,” Pacres said.

She said that she always attended exhibits in Metro Manila and other parts of the country to promote the tourism destinations of Legazpi by way of distributing brochures and participating in other tourism-related activities.

The increased tourist arrivals in this premier city of Bicol was also the result of the different Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) and other huge gatherings held here by various giant national and international organizations, Pacres said.

Based on the record of the City Tourism Office (CTO), at least 240 MICE events were conducted in Legazpi in 2019.

Pacres added that national and international sporting events such as the Mt. Mayon Triathlon and national beach volleyball held during the celebration of Ibalong Festival every month of August also contributed to increased number of visitors to this city.

“Still, the Mt. Mayon, the famous perfect volcano in the world, was the frontline of attractions of Legazpi,” she also said.

Riding an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) on lava hills and along rugged crevices down the Mt. Mayon slopes, Pacres said, is also a favorite activity among visitors in this city. (PNA)