By CESAR JOLITO III

Bacolod City posted steady gains in tourism in 2025, recording a 4.83 percent increase in visitor arrivals and generating more than P6.5 billion in tourism receipts, according to data released by the City Tourism Office.

A total of 873,573 local and foreign tourists visited the city last year, up from 833,345 arrivals in 2024.

Domestic travel continued to drive growth, rising by 5.11 percent to 813,625 visitors, while foreign arrivals edged up 2.21 percent to 60,525.

Tourism earnings reached P6.55 billion in 2025, with the strongest performance logged during the final quarter — October to December — traditionally buoyed by festivals, conferences and holiday travel.

Lower revenues were recorded in June, July and September, reflecting seasonal travel patterns.

Beyond leisure travel, Bacolod also emerged as a stronger hub for business events.

Attendance for meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE) jumped by 77 percent year-on-year, reaching 279,200 participants in 2025 from 157,126 in 2024.

Private sector leaders welcomed the gains, citing broader economic benefits.

Harold Geronimo, vice president for public relations and media affairs of a property developer, said the tourism upswing has a “ripple effect” across hotels, small businesses and local artisans.

Geronimo noted, however, that challenges remain, particularly high transportation costs and infrastructure gaps such as road conditions and street lighting.

He said coordination between city officials and private partners is ongoing to address these issues, including improvements to airport and seaport facilities and enhanced public lighting to improve accessibility and safety./CJ, WDJ