By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Negros Occidental Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) affirmed that they have recorded a high number of visitors in various tourist spots in the province during the Holy Week break.

In a radio interview with XFM 96.7 yesterday morning, PTO head Cheryl Decena said some tourism establishments recorded a 100-percent room reservation booking rate.

The Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary also logged a 100-percent booking rate between Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, April 6 and 7.

The resort’s facilities were also fully-booked during Black Saturday and Easter Sunday, April 8 and 9.

Decena is confident that the health of the province’s tourism industry is now back to normal after more than two years of setbacks brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to the pandemic onset in 2020, Negros Occidental was next to Boracay Island in the number of tourist arrivals in Western Visayas.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson hoped that with the improving situation of the tourism industry, they would likely to reach the particular spot again./DGB, WDJ