Tourism-related fees in Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan, are currently under review to ensure competitiveness with other top destinations like Bohol and Palawan, aiming to attract more foreign visitors and sustain the industry.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Western Visayas Regional Director engineer Juan Jovian Ingeniero said he recently participated in discussions with the Department of Tourism, officials of Aklan provincial and Malay municipal governments, and other stakeholders to address the issue.

“They are now studying the fees of Boracay because the rates have to be competitive with the other resorts like the Bohol, the Palawan to sustain the tourism there,” he said in a media interview on Friday.

Further meetings will determine whether amendments to Malay’s existing ordinance are necessary to lower fees and encourage more foreign tourists.

Aklan Governor Joen Miraflores has expressed support for government initiatives aimed at sustaining the island’s tourism sector, according to Ingeniero.

Before the pandemic, Boracay’s tourist arrivals were evenly split between domestic and foreign visitors.

However, the current trend leans heavily toward local travelers, and efforts are underway to restore the 50-50 ratio, Ingeniero added.

Currently, visitors to Boracay pay PHP150 each in terminal and environmental fees, plus an additional environmental fee upon departure, alongside boat fare costs.

According to the Malay Municipal Tourism Office, 92,254 tourists arrived in Boracay from Feb. 1-15, comprising 65,230 domestic visitors, 24,905 foreign tourists, and the remainder overseas Filipino workers and returning Filipinos. (PNA)